Surrounded by towering trees, some more than 200 years old, “Many Oaks” had been a Ladue landmark since 1907. The formal gardens once reflected the grandeur of the World’s Fair era and, in 1911, the imposing Bavarian Tudor residence was among the region’s first to convert from gas to electricity. Owned by a succession of prominent St. Louisans over the years, the historic home had been updated in the 1980s, but still retained its original character.