 A St. Louis newspaper cited it as the finest residence in the state soon after [he, his wife and four daughters] moved into the house in 1900.When the family moved out in 1924 after Cruikshank's death, no one else ever moved in; the house sat empty for 43 years, except for a caretaker family who lived there for a number of years.Arranged around the central hall are grand public rooms meant for entertaining.