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.
I was given a wonderful opportunity to photograph the Peabody Opera House, formerly the Kiel. It is in what I call “Terminal Beaux-Arts,” which is the late, informed by fledgling Modernism love of Neoclassical architecture and Renaissance interpretation of the… Continue Reading
Located upstream from Peoria on the Illinois River, Chillicothe is a town that could have a lot of potential. It has a beautiful downtown, with well-preserved storefronts and a short walk down to the broad lakes and rivers of the… Continue Reading
I spotted this abandoned drive-in, engulfed in trees on the south side of St. Clair Avenue in the eastern reaches of East St. Louis. I didn’t even realize the city limits stretched out this far. It is not the old… Continue Reading
Downtown Vandalia has a nice cross section of architectural styles. I was impressed with the overall level of occupation of buildings. While some are abandoned, like the movie theater below, I still felt like there was life here. Many cast… Continue Reading
This building is the headquarters of Prince Hall, which is an African-American branch of Freemasons, named after its founder. I’ve always been a little disappointed with this stretch–there are so many beautiful abandoned or underutilized buildings.