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The historic William F. and Julie Crome House is at 305 South Second Street in Clinton, Missouri (Henry County). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 25, 1999.

Trulia, a registered trademark of Zillow, Inc., displays some amazing photos of the home's interior. Visit here to see them. According to the Trulia website, the house was last sold in 2020. This is a remarkable historic home.

This two-story brick home carries the architectural style of American Foursquare and features some design elements of Colonial Revival. It was constructed in 1904 on a concrete foundation. The architect was Oliver R.S. Traber (1882-1958) of St. Louis. The house displays amazing craftsmanship in the woodwork.

The Crome House is important because of its architecture. The foursquare house type was popular back in the day. The columns in the front make the house stand out. This was a very stylish home for William F. Crome who was a wealth businessman in a small town. The house was built for Crome and his family. When the Crome house was built, it had the then-modern conveniences.

William F. Crome

William F. Crome was born in Germany in 1853. He came to America when he was 16. He worked in Kansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Missouri before moving to St. Louis. While there, he partnered with the Nasse and Fink wholesale grocery firm.

In 1887, Crome and his wife, Julia H. Fink Crome, moved to Clinton to start his own business. Julia was the daughter of one of his St. Louis business partners, Capt. Conrad Fink.

Crome's business, the William F. Crome and Company, was a wholesale grocery house which was new to the area. It was successful in its growth to service the surrounding area of Clinton.

The firm existed for many years and continued to be an important asset of the general business community until 1986, when it ceased operation. Small neighborhood groceries closing, growth in corporate supermarket chains with their own supply sources and several other factors all played a role in the closure. (Source.)

Crome also owned the Crome Bottling Company. When the Union State Bank of Clinton was established, he was a board member and principle stockholder. He was also a member of the Clinton School Board.

After Crome died in 1910, his sons ran the business until they died. At that time, the business was sold. The Cromes had five children, but lost two sons at very young ages to diphtheria. They only had one daughter.

When the Cromes built their home in 1904, they spared no expense due to their successful and well-established business. Many items for the home were from Europe. Mr. and Mrs. Crome and their daughter, Alice, traveled to France and Italy. Mrs. Crome and their daughter traveled a lot, and they enjoyed entertaining in the home.

According to the Find-a-Grave record, the following was published in the Clinton Eye in January 1910:

Died - William F. Crome, who had been in poor health for some time, at his home in Clinton, Wednesday morning, January 12, 1910. Born in Germany in 1853 and came to America at the age of 17. Identified with a leading wholesale firm at St. Louis for a number of years but later became sole owner of the branch wholesale grocery house established in Clinton, which will serve as a lasting monument to the untiring energy and ability of a citizen loved and honored by a wide acquaintance.

Interestingly, the Crome's granddaughter, Jean Elizabeth Crome Blundell, lived to be 104. She died in 2016.

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