The building featured in September of the Belleville Historical Society’s 2026 Seeing Belleville Through Stained Glass Calendar was a home on East Washington Street that was originally owned by Fred and Louise Engelke.

When Engelke obtained a building permit for the Queen-Anne style residence in 1901, the Belleville News-Democrat characterized the dwelling as a “costly frame building.” The house of 3,400 square feet was anticipated to cost over $6,000.

It was a landmark for Engelke’s long career in milling. A native of the Kingdom of Hanover, Engelke immigrated to St. Louis to work in the grain milling industry in 1865. In 1873, he moved to Belleville to become a manager of the Crown Mill on East Main and Walnut streets. He also owned mills in nearby Ruma and New Baden. He married Louise Karr and in his later years became a member of the board of directors of the Belleville Bank and Trust Company, an organization influenced by the Karr family.

The home features three angled stained glass panes in its stairwell, as well as over the front door and front-facing windows.