across the u.s.mid-century modernmissouri
Craig Woods, Kirkwood
Craig Woods is a 1950s modern subdivision in Kirkwood, Missouri, that the city designated a local historic district in 2011. Builder Burton Duenke began it in 1953 on a hilly four-street tract, and St. Louis architect Ralph Fournier designed at least some of its 49 houses. We found no National Register listing; the designation is a City of Kirkwood action.
The housesThe rulesBefore you buy
- locationKirkwood, MissouriSt. Louis County
- built1953–1955original construction
- homes49in the 2011 district
- designationlocal district, 2011City of Kirkwood
the houses
What makes them distinctive
- Builder-developedBurton Duenke’s firm began Craig Woods in 1953, and the tract was built out from 1953 to 1955.
- Fournier housesSt. Louis Magazine credits architect Ralph Fournier with houses in Craig Woods, including one built in 1953.
- A magazine planOne house follows Better Homes & Gardens’ 1953 Five Star Home plan by architects Brooks Buderus and Gerald Siegwart, at 1,601 square feet with no basement.
- Split-levels on hillsHilly lots produced many split-level ranches, often with outdoor terraces built over multi-car garages.
- Ceilings and glassA Fournier house here is described with vaulted ceilings and large windows.
- Size rangeHouses range from about 1,300 to 3,000 square feet, according to a 2008 neighborhood profile by local writer Toby Weiss.
protection
Designation and the rules
- Local historic districtKirkwood’s Landmarks Commission designated Craig Woods, 49 homes, a local historic district in November 2011, after a Washington University student inventory supervised by preservation historian Esley Hamilton.
- Demolition stayFor landmark or historic-district property, the Landmarks Commission can impose a demolition stay of up to 270 days; in 2026, whether the commission can deny demolition outright was disputed.
- Not a National Register listingWe found no National Register listing for Craig Woods; the 2011 designation is a City of Kirkwood action.
- State tax creditsMissouri’s rehabilitation credit covers buildings listed on the National Register, or contributing to a National Register district or a federally certified local district, and we found no source showing that Craig Woods meets that test.
before you buy
What to check before you buy
- Confirm review rulesAsk the City of Kirkwood which Landmarks Commission reviews apply to the address before planning an addition, exterior change or rebuild, and check the title documents for any subdivision indenture.
- Check what’s originalSources document altered houses, such as a picture window replaced with smaller windows and siding carried across the front, so compare a house with its original design.
- Terraces over garagesSeveral houses have terraces built over the garage, so have those surfaces and the spaces below inspected for leaks.
- Large windowsBig windows are signature features, so check their condition and ask which have been replaced, and under what permits.
- Neighborhood contextSources report three demolitions before 2011 and at least two multi-story infill houses by 2008, so look at adjacent lots as well as the house.
Sources spell the builder Duenke, Deunke and Duenk and don’t say how many houses Fournier designed; Kirkwood’s own website and code pages and the 2011 survey files couldn’t be opened, so review rules beyond demolition are unconfirmed.
sources
Where this comes from
Checked October 20, 2026.
- Patch: Craig Woods now historic district (2011)Designation, 49 homes, builder, student inventory, demolitions.patch.com/missouri/kirkwood/craig-woods-now-historical-district-in-kirkwood
- Missouri State Historic Preservation Office: A sampling of architectural surveysThe 2011 Kirkwood–Craigwoods survey.mostateparks.com/page/state-historic-preservation-office/sampling-architectural-surveys?page=3
- B.E.L.T.: Craigwoods, a Kirkwood mid-century subdivision (2008)Years, streets, split-levels, terraces, house sizes, infill.beltstl.com/?p=181
- B.E.L.T.: From a 1953 issue of Better Homes & Gardens to Kirkwood (2011)The magazine plan, its architects, alterations.beltstl.com/from-a-1953-issue-of-better-homes-gardens-to-kirkwood/
- St. Louis Magazine: a renovated Ralph Fournier–designed home (2019)A 1953 Fournier house in Craig Woods.www.stlmag.com/design/property/1217-dubois
- St. Louis Magazine: What is a historic district worth? Kirkwood confronts the limits of preservation (2026)The 270-day demolition stay and the dispute.www.stlmag.com/design/what-is-a-historic-district-worth-kirkwood-confronts-the-limits-of-preservation/
- Missouri Revisor of Statutes: Section 253.545Which buildings qualify for the state credit.revisor.mo.gov/main/OneSection.aspx?section=253.545
- National Park Service: National Register FAQNational Register listing places no restrictions on what a non-federal owner may do with their property.www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/faqs.htm
questions
Questions we hear
Is Craig Woods on the National Register of Historic Places?
We found no National Register listing. Craig Woods is a City of Kirkwood local historic district, designated in 2011.
Did Ralph Fournier design every house in Craig Woods?
No source says so. St. Louis Magazine credits him with specific houses, and one house was built from a Better Homes & Gardens plan by Brooks Buderus and Gerald Siegwart.
Can a Craig Woods house be torn down?
A demolition application for historic-district property goes to Kirkwood’s Landmarks Commission, which can impose a stay of up to 270 days; whether it can refuse demolition outright was disputed in 2026.
more to learn
Keep going
- Lortondale, TulsaDonald Honn’s 1950s modern houses in midtown Tulsa.
- Mid-century modern across the U.S.Every guide in the series, coast to coast.
- Mid-century modern homes in Silicon ValleyThe style at home: where it is, what to look for.
- Silicon Valley Eichler tractsEvery Silicon Valley Eichler tract we cover, with live listings.
- Builder FilesThe builders and architects behind Bay Area homes.
General information from the sources listed, checked October 20, 2026; not legal, preservation or construction advice. Confirm designation and permit rules with the local preservation office before you buy or remodel. The Boyenga Team represents buyers and sellers in Santa Clara County, bay-side San Mateo County and San Francisco.
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