William E. and Frederica M. Zuendt House, Jefferson City, Missouri.Photo byJim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The William E. and Frederica M. Zuendt House is historic. It's located at 920 Jefferson Street in Jefferson City, Missouri (Cole County). On November 15, 2002, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is also referred to as the Johnson House.

This two-story home was built in 1913 in the Munichburg neighborhood. The architectural style is Colonial Revival. It has a stone foundation and the walls are brick. The architect and builder are unknown.

At the time the house was nominated for the National Register, it was in good condition. The house had the original stairway, mantle, trim, and hardwood floors. According to the Redfin real estate website, the house last sold in 2016. The photos show how spacious some of the main rooms are.

The Zuendt House

William E. Zuendt's mother, Antonia Zuendt, lived on property purchased from her mother, Elizabeth Wagner. That property was adjacent to William's property, and this made three generations of this Missouri-German family. Elizabeth acquired her parcel in 1888.

It's believed the house had leaned more toward an American architectural style with its Colonial Revival styling because of the anti-German feelings associated with World War I.

William Zuendt was well-known in the Munichburg community and a long-term resident. He lived in the house from 1913 to some time between 1943 and 1948. The property adjacent to his in the rear at 115 W. Atchison Street was where his mother, Antonia, and Elizabeth had lived. Antonia had received one-half interest in the property from her mother's estate. The Atchison Street property included the land where the Zuendt House was built.

William E. Zuendt was vice-president and director of First National Bank which had merged with Exchange National Bank (inactive since October 2007). This merger occurred while William was living in the house.

On December 18, 1885, Christopher Wagner and William M. "Willie" Zuendt were involved in a train wreck near Russellville (Cole County). Christopher was killed instantly. William suffered a fatal injury. Others from Jefferson City had suffered injuries too.

Within a short time, Elizabeth Wagner and her daughter, Antonia Wagner Zuendt, became widows and in 1888, they purchased the Nelson Burch House. From 1888 to 1943, the Wagner and Zuendt families had owned and developed a large part of the blockowned and developed a large part of the block.

Second-generation Missouri German and son of a brewer, Christopher Wagner was a baker. Christopher married Elizabeth in 1848. The Gold Rush of 1849 took Christopher to California. He had acquired a nice amount of wealth. When Christopher returned to Jefferson City, he and Samuel W. Scovem operated the Scovem and Wagner wholesale and retail grocery. In 1862 and 1870, Christopher served as treasurer of Cole County.

The first Zuendt to arrive in America was Baron Ernst Anton Zuendt in 1860. He came from Bavaria with his family. He started out working as a journalist in Milwaukee, St. Paul, and St. Louis. He came to Jefferson City to each German in the public schools.

William M. Zuendt was four years old when his family came to America. He and Antonia Wagner married in 1879. He was involved with his faher-in-law's wholesale grocery business. Eventually, he purchased Scovem's interest in the business.

William M. and Antonia Zuendt were the parents of one son who was William E. Zuendt born in 1882. William E. married Frederica Morlock. They had three children: William M., Lucille A., and Robert E. Zuendt.

In 1925, William was appointed the commissioner of finance by Governor Sam A. Baker. Due to ill health, he spent months in California. When he came back to Jefferson City, he was elected director and secretary of the New Cole County Savings and Loan Association, which later merged with Mutual Savings and Loan Association.

William Eugene Zuendt died on May 3, 1955, at age 72. Frederica Morlock Zuendt died on February 1, 1960, at age 78. Their three children have since passed away.

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