About
History
The Blosser Estate unfolds as historic narrative — room by room — a story told through the decorative arts of wallpaper, fabrics, fixtures and furnishings. The early artisan crafts of clockmaking, silversmith, porcelain and woodcraft reside with couture window and bed fittings and other elements that bridge to the fine art collection. Curated with a modern sensibility, anyone can find some aspect of history to love.
Preservation
In 2014, former Missouri governor Jay Nixon declared that the Henry Blosser House, a family homestead built between 1874 and 1878 by one of the Mid- west’s most successful businessmen, was the most endangered residence in the state. “Almost every architectural element — fireplaces, moldings, doors, newel posts — had been stolen, stripped and discarded or vandalized,” recalls designer Kelee Katillac. “There was red graffiti in the kitchen, mold everywhere and no electricity, plumbing, water or septic. It was going to be demolished to plant another acre of soybeans.” After many years of restoration… The Henry Blosser Estate is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
Restorers
As life-long collectors of decorative arts and antiquities the late Dr. Arthur Elman and his wife Carolyn Elman, restored and renovated The Henry Blosser Estate.
It is a legacy project for Missouri and the surrounding region. The house now showcases the Elman Collection. It was Dr. Elman’s hope that the property would inspire coming generations to appreciate and study history, and the human capacity to dream and create.
