I can’t find much information about the South Entrance Lodge of Tower Grove Park, but it is a wonderful building combining a mostly Romanesque Revival Style structure with elements of the Baroque Revival. It sits close to the Arsenal Entrance and Center Cross Street, and the busy cut-through traffic from Tower Grove Avenue and Magnolia Avenue to the north. There is some great, well-preserved detailing from this 1888 building.
Just – Wow! Do photos of the interior exist?
Was this used as a caretaker’s residence or for receptions or perhaps as an information booth?
Great question: I assume it was a gardener and caretaker’s house.
I imagine all of st louis looking like this, if only people could have kept up maintenance…when I drive in the north side I always think it should all look like main street st.charles, if only…..
Hi Chris, I saw some info on this recently in the Tower Grove Park Master Plan from 2017 (they have info on the other park buildings as well). From the plan: “The last major park structure built under Henry Shaw’s supervision, the building was designed by the architectural firm George I. Barnett and Son, and completed in 1889… Originally constructed as a small park lodge in 1889, the building was occupied as an office for the Park Board of Commissioners in 1913.”
Ah, that’s really interesting! I’m not surprised to learn it came out of the Barnett office.