Far South Old North Deterioration

The dense neighborhoods just north of downtown are almost completely gone, where people once lived in a density that most Americans would find surprising–though it’s still common in most of the world. There are a couple of those old rowhouses left, and I stumbled across this beauty whose elegance has been only slightly marred by…

Marine Villa, Revisited

I’ve always found the small neighborhood of Marine Villa, tucked up against Broadway and I-55, to be an interesting area of the city. You can see the river from the high bluffs on which the neighborhood sits, a rarity in the city. And there’s a strange mix of very old houses, from around the Civil…

Fourth Baptist, Days Numbered, Winter 2016

Update, February 17, 2016: In what is easily the earliest update I have ever posted, the church was completely demolished this week. Poor Fourth Baptist is now under demolition, with the focus primarily on the older portions of the complex: the row house on Sullivan, and the old sanctuary to the north of the new…

Immaculate Conception, Dardenne Prairie

Founded in 1880, Immaculate Conception was a quiet, rural parish for over a century. But that changed as St. Charles County exploded in population, and while the old church is too small and has been replaced by a new one behind it, the parish remains relevant into the 21st Century. Updated April 2021 with photos…

Back in Business

Hey all, after a couple of weeks of St. Louis Patina being down, my good friend from college, Keith Aumiller, was able to rescue my blog from a bad hosting situation. The great news: the vast majority, as in upper 90% of the site was saved; the bad news: here and there, images were lost,…