Amazingly, despite traversing Arsenal Between Gravois and South Jefferson avenues perhaps thousands of times in my years living in St. Louis, I have never examined the houses on the north side of the street in the Benton Park West neighborhood. The first blocks, between Gravois and Nebraska, and then Nebraska and Oregon, are taken up by an Imo’s and Kuti’s Funeral Home. You can see the south side of Arsenal between Nebraska and Oregon from the fall of 2020 and May of 2022, and Oregon Avenue north and south of Arsenal from October of 2020.

There’s been a lot of rehabbing on this stretch of street. I remember when this house below emerged from thick undergrowth, revealing a very unique and well-preserved house–it just need the trees and bushes removed! See the south side of Arsenal in this area from May of 2022.

Crossing over California Avenue, we see some very old houses, befitting Arsenal Street’s long history in the area.

The ugly trend of painting brick, which can possibly hide tuckpointing problems, continues as flippers buy up inexpensive real estate in Benton Park West.

Perhaps what I most like about this stretch is how it developed organically, one house at a time, over decades, starting probably as early as the Civil War, so the setbacks alternate all over the place.

That little house below on the right is a real survivor, and could be from the 1860s.

Many of these houses also have nice side lots, which provide for gardens that I’ve seen blossom over the years.

Interestingly, this house on the corner with Iowa Avenue, which was probably originally a house, was converted into a corner store, and now is back to being a house.