A recent comment on my old pictures of the Virginia Theater reminded me that I had some old photos from an open house when the old movie house owners allowed access to those interested in seeing the interior. The marble… Continue Reading
The Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Succor burned long ago, but the many buildings of its campus are still standing, showing what a large presence the congregation was in the community. The parish is now closed, the… Continue Reading
On my way from the Effigy Mounds to Dubuque, I missed a turn and ended up heading into Lancaster, Wisconsin. I passed by a sign announcing that it was the “City of the Dome,” and as I rounded a bend… Continue Reading
“But, but, we have to have a parking lot or people won’t come downtown!” I’m sure someone said that when it came time to do something with the vacant lot that was left on the west side of the main… Continue Reading
This is the third of three weeks on Thursdays and Fridays, where I’ve been looking at the three east-west streets parallel to Cherokee Street in Gravois Park, the neighborhood to the south of the famous commercial artery. This is where the east-west streets… Continue Reading
This theater on the north side of the park in Hyde Park is abandoned, its last use apparently as a church. It’s perhaps the most unique looking theater I’ve seen–so plain in an era where Hollywood sought to create a… Continue Reading
I had never made it to downtown Pacific before, but it is very well preserved, and has some nice buildings. The opera house is built in an interesting, eclectic style, and is not something I have seen exactly in St.… Continue Reading
The Casa Loma Ballroom continues to be a landmark on Cherokee Street. While the Cinderella continues the replacement of its original terracotta. But an old Anheuser-Busch pub still sits in limbo, its owner holding out.
The Hi-Pointe Theater would never be built today; the corporation would require a giant parking lot, and it would never be located so close to the street. But it was built, and it is still a landmark after all of… Continue Reading
No longer the Roberts Orpheum, but back to just the Orpheum, the beauty of the terracotta decoration even on the side of the theater on St. Charles Street is stunning. Here are some details.