Nicknamed the Building that is Impossible to Photograph, this former bank building is now a government office.
Reflecting the changing uses and architecture of the western edge of town, and perhaps replacing one of the structures demolished in the clearance of the Mill Creek Valley, it cuts a unique profile across the intersection.
The blue paint may not be original, but I am not sure.
This is the site of Uhrig's cave. More info here.
HA! I work for the bank that used to own that! Here’s a link to a an old ad showing the original paint scheme from the website.
http://www.jbt-stl.com/insidethebank/history/images/hist-1956washington.jpg
Cheers!
Did you ever see the cave?
JBT moved from that building to the current one on Market around 1980, so I never worked there. But I talked to a couple of my co-workers who did, and they said that they never knew about a cave. So I’m guessing that it was blocked off and covered over during construction.
On a side note, I tried to research the location of the first JBT building. Turns out that intersection doesn’t exist anymore!
Another footnote – this location was where the famous 1963 sit-ins occurred. JBT had somehow fired its two black tellers when it moved from its old location near Pruitt-Igoe and refused to hire more black employees. See numerous articles, including https://www.stlbeacon.org/#!/content/18213/norman_seay_looks_back_on_jefferson_bank_and_local_struggle_for_civil_rights
I am trying to find information on the original contractor and architect for this building. I need a set of the original plans for this building if they are available.