by Cynthia Young
Contributing Editor

Summary: Perched on a hilltop in the middle of a pastoral 400-acre spread in rural Missouri, a country house is being constructed with a gabled roof, wraparound porch, and a unique three-story stone turret in the back. The 4,500-square-foot home overlooks dramatic views of a river valley, open country, and woodlands where deer, beaver, and pheasants roam. For a nature lover who appreciates the beauty and solitude of the countryside, it is paradise. Designed by architect Gerald “Jerry” A. Wild, AIA, of St. Louis-based Jerry Wild LLC Architects, the traditional house is scheduled to be completed in mid-December, just in time to celebrate with a Christmas family gathering. This unassuming St. Louis-style, two-story clapboard home is enabling its owner, Terry Wilson, to live his dream.

Earlier this year, Wilson, 54—who had retired a year ago from a 30-year career as supervisor of facility mechanics for several St. Louis County-owned buildings—received a surprising windfall. Along with his parents and two brothers, he hit a jackpot that most of us only dream about—he won the lottery. Now, with his portion of the Missouri Powerball’s $254 million proceeds (the largest in Missouri history and the seventh-largest in the nation), and while trying to keep a low profile, this extraordinary, unexpected gain is enabling him to construct the house of his dreams.

“To get involved in someone’s dream is amazing,” says Wild, who is a design architect for St. Louis County, Mo. He has worked on new and renovation projects for the county for 14 years. “Terry used to live in a 1,200-square-foot brick bungalow that was built in 1904, the same year as the World’s Fair. Now he is getting some space around him. It’s rewarding to help him achieve his dream and to go along with the ride. It’s inspiring.”

Falling in love with the house and the view
The architect and Wilson have been friends for years, since they began working together on architecture projects in St. Louis County, where Wilson’s crews maintained several county high-rise buildings. So this year, when Wilson, an avid outdoorsman, began thinking of constructing a house on the land he loved, there was only one architect he considered to design it: his friend Jerry Wild.

Wilson purchased the land in rural Jefferson County, which, with the exception of a four-mile gravel lane to the middle of the property, has no roads. It also contains a 20-acre, spring-fed natural lake where ducks dive and fish dart. It’s a perfect place for Wilson, a hunter and fisherman, who cherishes the beauty and solitude of the outdoors.

When the two friends first walked the property, they began at its highest point, amid a clearing and the rubble of a turn-of-the-century homestead. They chose this site for the new home’s construction, which overlooks the lake and a mile of river that cascades down the eastern side of the property.

“The family has fallen in love with the house during the construction,” Wild continues. “They didn’t realize how dramatic the view is. The house sits right on top of the hill. It is in a great setting with open country all around and overlooks a river valley and hills. In the fall it is beautiful.”

“It’s a paradise come true. I can hardly wait for the space to spread out and enjoy the solitude and my hobbies of hunting and fishing right outside my new home,” adds Wilson.

Distinctive turret affords uncommon views
Inside, the first floor’s open plan contains a kitchen, master bedroom, master bath, a sewing room for Wilson’s fiancée, and a living room/family room with a cathedral ceiling and a stone fireplace. It also has wall space to display Wilson’s hunting trophies. Upstairs will be Wilson’s private office with a small outside balcony, fitness center overlooking the lower living room and completed with reinforced floor for weight-lifting equipment, board room for private meetings, and wine room. Also on the second story above the three-car garage is an 800-square-foot attic that will be finished into a family multi-purpose room.

Reached by a spiral oak stairway, the top floor of the three-story turret will serve as a lookout tower and sport a telescope so visitors can take in the view and watch game meander across the property. The turret’s second story will be used for entertaining guests. The first floor of the turret will contain a breakfast nook. There, the kitchen will open up to a deck for entertaining, which also has a sunken spa. The porch then continues to wrap around the house. Wild designed a 12:12 sloped roof for a dramatic look, which makes the house appear taller from vantage points below.

A hundred feet from the new construction is the foundation of an earlier homestead dating from 1905. The old foundation will be retained to serve as a shelter from the tornadoes that vex the state. Wild has also designed the new house to withstand strong wind loads.

When it comes to utilities, the owner is also starting from scratch. Electric power is being brought in from a mile away, a septic field is being designed, and a 350-foot well is being drilled for drinking water. The property also has a diesel generator to supply emergency power. Wild also used recycled materials for parts of the house, including stone work and a composite wood product on the porch deck.

In the future, Wild hopes to hold a charity concert at the new house with some country music legends to raise money to help fight Parkinson’s disease. Wild learned he has the illness several years ago, and since then it has been his dream to use the creative arts to inspire and motivate patients with Parkinson’s. This commission to design Wilson’s new country house has reinforced Wild’s own belief that he cannot be restricted by the disease. Meanwhile, Wilson’s future plans for the property include building a guest house by the lake, grazing horses, and putting in a pool near the house once the landscaping is complete.

For both architect and owner, two outdoorsmen who enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside, this simple, classic house in the country is enabling both of their dreams to come true.