For nearly 170 years, the residents of Kirkwood, a lush suburb of St. Louis, have admired the stunning Marquitz-Garesche House.

This graceful white clapboard residence, built in 1858, stands as a pre-Civil War masterpiece and has been recognized as a local landmark since 1982 due to its architectural significance.

As the oldest dwelling in the North Taylor neighborhood, its historical value contributed significantly to the area’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.

When Harlee Sorkin, a 52-year-old CEO of a health startup, and his 51-year-old wife Annelle, a Pilates instructor, purchased the home for $635,000 last February, its previous owner, Mary Glen, was thrilled. The couple expressed enthusiasm for preserving the 19th-century gem.

However, the Sorkins, who reside with their three sons in a sprawling $1.4 million estate in nearby Topping Estates, now face a chilly reception in their new locale. Their revised proposal involves demolishing the historic three-bedroom, two-bathroom structure.

According to a rendering obtained by the Daily Mail, the planned replacement is a larger residence featuring a stone-clad façade and sleek black window frames, reminiscent of those popularized by reality TV home renovators Chip and Joanna Gaines.

Despite the Marquitz-Garesche House’s storied history, there is no local ordnance preventing its destruction, although Glen and other locals have made repeated attempts to try and save the property from the Sorkins’ wrecking ball. 

Glen, who lived in the Marquitz-Garesche House for 49 years between 1976 and 2025 with her late husband is so incensed that she wrote an angry local letter about the Sorkins to her local newspaper. 

The Marquitz-Garesche House in the historic St Louis suburb of Kirkwood is set to be demolished at the behest of its wealthy new owners, outraging neighbors

CEO Harlee Sorkin and his Pilates teacher wife Annelle insist they planned to preserve the 1858 home after buying it, but say that the renovations it required would have ruined it anyway

She claims the couple initially told her they had planned to add an extension to the existing home that would preserve its historic looks and character.

Sorkin and Annelle countered by saying they were concerned about potential asbestos insulation in the attic, lead paint and piping, as well as a narrow staircase.

Sorkin, who leads heart health startup InterShunt Technologies, also complained that there is just seven inches of clearance between the door and bathtub in one of the home’s two bathrooms, rendering it completely impractical. 

But Glen, who says she spent $1.3 million on maintaining the home during the half-century that she lived there, insisted she had the attic insulation tested – and that no asbestos was found.

Pointedly, she added: ‘I conveyed this information to the Sorkins, so when they say they are unaware, that is either untrue or an oversight on their part.’ 

Addressing the Sorkins’ other concerns, Glen said that the ‘narrow’ staircase they complained of is a historic period feature and that it is structurally sound.

She said ‘every square inch’ of the house has since been repainted with unleaded paint and that the property does not suffer damp, any issues with its wiring or roof and that its lead pipes were replaced with copper ones. 

Speaking to the Webster-Kirkwood Times, the stricken widow added: ‘I loved that place for 50 years. It’s a shame it’s being torn down.’ 

Harlee Sorkin submitted this rendering of the planned replacement home last July. The larger property is clad in stone and features ultra-modern black window frames 

The Sorkins’ proposed new home bears more than a resemblance to the $1.4 million mansion where they currently reside in Topping Estates, another ritzy St Louis suburb

The Marquitz-Garesche House has been designated a landmark by the City of Kirkwood since 1982, with its presence instrumental in the entire neighborhood’s addition to the National Register of Historic Places 

Addressing a public hearing last July, Harlee Sorkin insisted he and his wife had initially planned to preserve the house, even hiring an architect and builder to do so, only to realize that the scale of work required would destroy its appearance anyway.

‘Nobody looks at a historic house and says, “I want to tear this down,”‘ Sorkin said at the time. ‘When we purchased the house, there was no expectation that we would live in it as is. The question was what would it take to make this workable for us…

‘We ultimately determined it would be a challenge due to loss of historical integrity, incompatibility of modern living standards and, ultimately, safety.’

The Sorkins first applied to the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission to demolish their home in May last year, three months after buying it.

When locals caught wind of what was afoot, Kirkwood resident Erin Mariscal launched a Change.org petition to try and stop the demolition, which has so-far gained 1,500 signatures.

Mariscal, who works as a dentist, also questioned whether the Sorkins really tried to preserve the home.

‘There was clearly no intent to restore this property,’ she claimed. 

‘The new owners’ lack of due diligence should not result in our community losing a landmark.

The Marquitz-Garesche House is regarded as one of the crown jewels of Kirkwood – but its destruction is now imminent after planners and a legal challenge ruled its owners were perfectly entitled to demolish it 

An interior shot of the home. Former owner Mary Glen says she spent $1.3 million on repairing the property in the 49 years she lived there and is outraged by the Sorkins’ plans to demolish it 

‘The reasons cited by the new owners are not acceptable reasons to warrant demolition. 

‘Many residents in Kirkwood live in old homes that are not up to modern code. What makes these homes old and unique is why they are landmarks.’ 

Another neighbor called Reba Luhrs told the Daily Mail: ‘There are a lot of us who are upset.’

Luhrs, who has lived in the area since 1994 and has a ‘Protect Historic Kirkwood’ yard sign said: ‘[Sorkin] claimed he bought the house then found out it was unlivable. He had no intentions of living in it, he just wanted to demolish it.’

When she was shown the renderings for the intended new build on the property, she scoffed that it didn’t fit in with the style of the neighborhood.

‘We’re just so disappointed that they’re taking that house down. Those people can find another lot, but we can’t find another house that was built in 1858. It’s just selfish,’ she added.

Another local, who wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘We’re not happy about it, it’s just very disappointing. It’s a trend that we are seeing that is upsetting. It’s a beautiful home.’

A month after Harlee Sorkin applied to demolish the home, the commission voted to withhold approval of his plan for the maximum amount of time allowed – 270 days.

Yard signs in Kirkwood calling for the historic neighborhood to be protected. If the Sorkins end up moving into their new home, they’ll likely find themselves very unpopular with their immediate neighbors 

No timeline for the Marquitz-Garesche’s house demolition has been set, with many locals distraught at the prospect of seeing it flattened by a wrecking ball 

They did so in a bid to encourage an alternative plan to preserve the property, but none emerged in the time frame, leaving the Sorkins free to hire a demolition crew.

A group of angry residents – including four immediate neighbors of the house – subsequently sued in a last-ditch attempt to force the City of Kirkwood to block any demolition.

That effort failed last Friday, when St Louis County Circuit Court Judge John N Borbonus ruled that those opposed to the demolition ‘do not have the requisite standing’ to prevent the Marquitz-Garesche House from being destroyed, the St Louis Post-Dispatch reported. 

Lawyers for the Sorkins defended the couple, highlighting that they had consistently stuck to the City of Kirkwood’s own rules and done nothing wrong. 

The Sorkins declined to comment further when approached by the Daily Mail. 

No further details on when the Marquitz-Garesche House will be demolished have been shared. 

As the drama unfolds, the Sorkins remain ensconced in their enormous Topping Estates mansion, away from the disapproving glares of their new neighbors.

It is unclear whether Harlee and Annelle Sorkin still plan to move into the Kirkwood home themselves – and if they will sell their existing mansion when they do so. 

Earlier this week, the Daily Mail saw Annelle Sorkin driving her black Porsche Cayenne SUV from her Craftsman-style mansion to the Pilates studio where she teaches stretches and breathing techniques.

She and her husband may well require both in the coming months to help them cope with the stress of moving to an area where many locals now actively dislike them.