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 really neat. I shudder at the rents, though.
And finally, this nice, stout Italianate row building anchors the street by the train station.
The “mews” building fascinated me as a kid. For many years it was covered in tan stucco and had a sort of decrepit fountain in front (where the planting area was). The building was slightly rundown and looked very “Bohemian,” at least to me.
The building dates to 1915 and is part of the building to its immediate North. The upper floor was always apartments and the lower floor was a rental office for the units above and to he North and the South.
The building on the South was constructed in 1878. The same family owned all three structures until 1962.
This was a prime commercial location, as the streetcar line ran on Clay Avenue in front of the buildings. This is the line that had its Western terminus at the old Meramec Highlands resort way west on Big Bend.
Tom, Did you know any of the Ash’s, Sandra, Linda, Art or Scott, growing up? My mom is Linda.
No to knowledge of the Ash family. Did they attend the Kirkwood public schools? Where was the family home? I had very little knowledge of the R-7 kids – also, I grew up just West of Ballas (and East of Greenbriar CC), and there were very few kids my age with whom to hang – most were rug rats, now known as Boomers; I was slightly pre-war.
I went to St. Peter’s for GS and then to CBC for HS; because of those schools and not KHS, I – and others – are still not regarded as “true” Kirkwood citizens, even though we moved here in 1942 and I still live in the house of my youth…
They went to Kirkwood High, mom graduated in ’66, her sister probably ’62. They lived on Thirsby and the corner of Edna. My dad and namesake went to Webster High and graduated in ’66 also.
Haw!
They lived about 200 feet from where I grew up (and still live)! I’m at the SE corner of Janet and Arminda, literally around the corner from Thursby and Edna!
I graduated HS in ’58 and did not leave home until ’61, so we were concurrent neighbors.
If you remember the fireman that lived there, that’s them. Also do you have a little brother?
Younger brother, sorry.
Nope – slightly younger sister, Nerinx ’60.
I thought the fireman and his family lived on Thursby, in between Arminda and Edna, in a frame house that was waaay up on a hill, with a single-car garage that had been converted into a room.
1816 Thursby was the add.
Gotcha! One of the few houses left – like mine – with still a gravel driveway!
Yes I knew Linda, Greg, your father, Ruth, your Grandmother,
Greg, Your Grandfather, Larry Abbott, when they lived in Fenton. I know Sandra, but she is not one of you relatives.
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