And here's what to people in Los Angeles or New York might be the most amazing part of it — Jackson bought it for just $1.1 million.
The striking home is featured in the Wall Street Journal's Mansion section today, part of a story about what the daily calls "Gilded Age" homes.
"Over the past decade, Gilded Age homes have experienced something of a renaissance, with popular TV shows like HBO’s The Gilded Age sparking interest in grand homes built around the turn of the 20th century," E.B. Solomont writes. "Covid also helped boost the appeal of these homes, real-estate agents said, because they have large rooms that can be closed off to create distinct living spaces."
Both online and in print, the spread includes beautiful photos of Jackson's digs, taken by local photographer Karen Palmer. Jackson notes that Palmer wasn't the only St. Louisan with a close connection to the story.
"The WSJ writer, Elizabeth (E.B.) Solomont, lived and worked in St. Louis over a decade ago while her husband attended graduate school at Wash U," he says. "I believe that’s how she knew to look in the CWE for Gilded Age homes."
Indeed, it was Solomont who pitched Jackson on the home being featured. He says she reached out cold at his office email (he's an attorney for prominent St. Louis firm Dowd Bennett) and made her pitch.
Now that the story's been online for a few days (though it only comes out in print this morning), Jackson has heard from a quite a few people.
"I spent 23 years of my career in New York City, and the last few days have been full of friends and former colleagues reaching out to ask about the house and how the article came to be," he says. "Many of them remember me 10 years ago weighing whether to buy a two-bedroom condo in NYC or a historic house in St. Louis. They also have a hard time believing that I didn’t pitch the Wall Street Journal at all." After all, in New York, people pay good money for this kind of publicity.
Beyond the glorious photos of a classic St. Louis mansion that's been lovingly restored to mint condition (Jackson says he's put in another $1 million in to the place on top of the purchase price), the real treat for some locals may be reading about the clueless real estate agents who tried to persuade him to look in far-flung St. Louis suburbs rather than the heart of the city.
He says he hasn't regretted his decision for a minute. "I’m a city person, and had already done the 'new' thing," he explains. "I was a modernist when I lived in Manhattan. My weekend house on the marina in Sag Harbor was new construction, too. I had decorated it myself with abstract art and contemporary furniture, much of which I now have upstairs in this house. I enjoyed modern style very much, and may even return to it someday in the future.
"But in moving to St. Louis, I wanted to experience the graceful living that a turn-of-the-century home on a beautiful street could provide. I was fortunate to find the interior designer Jimmy Jamieson — whom I later learned lives a few houses down the street from me — to fill this home with furniture and rugs that aren’t just attractive, but also are comfortable and functional. And the best thing is that I can be at any club, restaurant or event in the city in 10 to 15 minutes. You can’t do that from Wildwood!"
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