Seven years ago, I traveled to the southwestern corner of Kirkwood, where it abuts Sunset Hills to search for the home of Edwin Lemp, the last heir of William Lemp Sr. Edwin’s magnificent country house sits high above the Meramec… Continue Reading
I had never seen this building before, but it’s worth checking out; it turns out my colleague Toby Weiss had already discovered it years ago. As more of Clayton is demolished, this building is a fitting tribute to what could… Continue Reading
Martin F. Hanley bought the farmland on which his house sits in 1847. It is a simple, but elegant Greek Revival house with an interesting paint scheme. Abandoning the more typical white of Greek Revival houses meant to emulate white… Continue Reading
I’ve always been intrigued by the massive Modernist churches of downtown Kirkwood. It seems in the 1950s all of the major congregations decided to rebuilt, perhaps reflecting the burgeoning population of the suburb. The first church, First Presbyterian Church of… Continue Reading
It’s interesting; Kirkwood’s main street, Kirkwood Road, doesn’t have spectacular buildings, but they’re all occupied, well-maintained and serving a purpose. Perhaps that is the most important thing sometimes? Above is this cool Modernist office building. Below, this “mews” building is… Continue Reading
Along with various Webster Groves stations, the Kirkwood railroad station served generations of commuters to downtown and other locations. It still serves as an Amtrak station. The architecture is interesting, best described as influenced by Romanesque architecture with some Shingle… Continue Reading
Another obliterated neighborhood in the name of “progress,” another promise of economic prosperity in the face of the reality, another missing piece of our collective heritage. Maybe Menards will agree to tear down the store when it goes out of… Continue Reading
I covered the shameful desecration of Rock Hill Presbyterian last year, and a friend and I drove out to see how progress on the reconstruction was going. It turns out the stones had been dumped on a couple of old… Continue Reading