Some projects are just jobs. And then some projects are something more.
544 S Clay Avenue in Kirkwood, Missouri is one of those. Built in 1883 on Lot 15 of Zephyr Heights — in an era of horse-drawn carriages and steam locomotives — this Victorian Farmhouse has stood on a quiet Kirkwood street for over 140 years. It survived a fire in its early years. It passed through the hands of local business leaders, families, and community members across more than a dozen decades. When the property underwent a full modernization, IES Construction & Roofing was brought in to handle the complete exterior renovation.
This is the story of that project.
About the Property
544 S Clay Avenue sits just a half mile — a 10-minute walk — from the heart of downtown Kirkwood, the city founded in 1853 as the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi. The house itself was built 30 years after Kirkwood was established, and it carries the architectural character of that era.
The style is best described as a Victorian Farmhouse hybrid — a combination that was common in high-style residential construction of the 1880s. Steep pitch roofs. Two-story facades. Varied siding textures. Ornamental detailing at the gable ends and cornices. The kind of craftsmanship that simply isn’t built anymore.
The property sold in January 2025 for $1,300,000 following a complete renovation — a full modernization that expanded the home to 3,320 square feet across 4 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms while preserving the historic character that makes this address special.
The IES Scope of Work
IES Construction & Roofing handled the full exterior envelope — siding, shingle shake, soffit, and fascia. Every product decision was made with one goal in mind: honor what this house has always been while giving it the performance and durability it needs for the next 140 years.
James Hardie Lap Siding
The primary field siding on 544 S Clay is James Hardie HardiePlank® lap siding. For a home of this character and this market, fiber cement was the right specification. It holds paint longer than wood, it doesn’t rot, it doesn’t expand and contract with Missouri’s humidity swings the way wood does, and it carries a 30-year warranty.
The profile and exposure were selected to match the original lap siding proportions of the home — maintaining the horizontal rhythm and shadow lines that define the Victorian Farmhouse character of the exterior. To the eye, it reads exactly as it should. Under the surface, it’s built to last.
James Hardie Shingle Shake
One of the defining features of Victorian Farmhouse architecture is the use of varied siding textures — and 544 S Clay is no exception. The gable ends and upper accent areas of this home feature James Hardie HardieShingle® — a fiber cement shingle shake profile that replicates the look of the original wood shingle detailing while delivering the same low-maintenance performance as the lap siding below.
This is where the restoration work gets interesting. The original home used real wood shingles in these areas — a detail that gave the Victorian character its depth and visual richness. Matching that look with a modern material that won’t split, rot, or require constant repainting was a critical part of honoring the home’s history while improving on it.
Soffit & Fascia
The soffit and fascia were completed with James Hardie as well — maintaining a consistent material system across the entire exterior. On a home with this level of architectural detailing at the cornice and eave lines, the soffit and fascia are not afterthoughts. They’re part of what makes the exterior read as finished and intentional.
Honoring the History
The guiding principle on this project was straightforward — follow the historic character of the home and improve on it where modern materials allow. We didn’t try to redesign 544 S Clay. We tried to restore it.
The siding profiles match the proportions of what was there. The shingle shake detailing in the gables references the original texture play of the Victorian era. The color palette respects the period. And the craftsmanship — every joint, every corner, every transition between materials — was held to the standard that a 140-year-old home in one of St. Louis’s most storied communities deserves.
Kirkwood doesn’t have many homes like this one left. We took that seriously.
About IES Construction & Roofing
IES Construction & Roofing is a certified James Hardie installer serving St. Louis and Metro East Illinois. Our certification means our crews are trained to Hardie’s installation standards — and every IES Hardie installation activates the full manufacturer warranty.
If you have a historic home, a renovation project, or simply want James Hardie installed the right way — we’d love to talk.