Kirkwood’s Famous Green Parrot Inn

said John Chung. “Just looking through the photos, he felt there was something about it. His heart was already set, but when I was doing the walk through was when I could see how my dad would fall in love with this home.”

Memories Of The Past

Though the house has been modified during its transformation from restaurant to residence, elements of The Green Parrot — as well as its other past lives — remain.

The home is still a true example of the Craftsman style, with much of the original quarter and rift-sawn Missouri white oak flooring and unique door and window openings intact. Hiding behind the large magnolia tree on the southfacing side of the structure are one of two double-arched chimneys, which were an uncommon feature of the time.

Elements of the home’s former identity as a speakeasy are also visible to discerning eyes. A 3-by-4-foot section of stone on the northwest corner of the basement foundation, which was filled at some point, would have lead directly toward Quinette Cemetery and away from raiding policemen.

The home also boasts a fireplace made of Missouri red granite and a second-floor window boasts a stunning view of the Meramec Valley, perfect for watching fireworks on New Year’s Eve or the Fourth of July.

The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the William Bopp House and the Green Parrot Inn on April 5, 2006. The site has been recognized as a local historic landmark by Kirkwood since 1985.

As an added bonus, purchase of the home included an original Green Parrot Inn recipe book, featuring Tena May Dowd’s process for her most famous dishes, including fried chicken, of course. The recipe requires an aluminum-covered skillet and “the best lard money can buy.”

John Chung’s father eventually came to take a look in person. As a general contractor, he was in awe of all the detail in the architecture. But it was the stunning history of the Green Parrot home that ultimately drew the Chung family to become its newest caretakers.

An original Green Parrot cookbook was included with the sale of the home.

“What drew him to the house wasn’t just the architecture,” said John Chung. “It was the story.”