The story began when an employee of the Troy School District, Brian Chrismer, found a tombstone in a dumpster on district property. He reached out to Ginger Collins-Justus, and she discovered the stone belonged in Oak Hill Cemetery in Kirkwood. On… Continue Reading
There aren’t a huge number of mausolea in Oak Hill, but there are a couple nice ones. The stars, however, are some interesting family plots, such as this one below. I like the benches around this one, bringing people together… Continue Reading
Oak Hill Cemetery was founded way out in the country, along the old main-line railroad tracks, near the recently founded city of Kirkwood. It’s a beautiful setting, full of wonderful trees (which are in many ways the stars of the… Continue Reading
Across what is clearly an old ford over a creek that feeds just to the left of the picture into the Meramec, my father and I found an interesting discovery. Beyond a doubt, there are the well-preserved remnants of an… Continue Reading
Proceeding south from the field surrounding the mansion, the original animal park that Edwin Lemp used to breed and keep exotic animals is largely intact, and the crags that gave the name to his estate still awe visitors along the… Continue Reading
Continuing a somewhat regular Christmas tradition, my father and I took a drive on the holiday out to look for more remnants of the Lemp estates out along the Meramec River. We returned to our search for more ruins or… Continue Reading
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’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