Update: I revisited the street in March of 2024.
Obear Avenue is just north of Grand Boulevard and is lined with a whole host of beautiful houses, but sadly most of them are abandoned.
The house above is a rare example of a Italianate/Second Empire hybrid, which are common in South St. Louis, but I do not see them as often up north. It has a strange porch off the west side of it.
Then there are a series of stunning two story Second Empire houses, which are in various degrees of deterioration. I love these houses, and it is very sad to see them in this condition.
The trees grow wild and unkempt, as there is no one around to cut them down as they threaten houses. They also grow in lines, delineating where houses once stood, and where property lines still exist under the snow.
Chris, I would love to see a post regarding the transition away from these building styles. Examples of areas of transition, reasons (cultural, structural, design) for the transition away from these architectural styles etc. Maybe you already have done so and can point me in the right direction…..
I can go into more depth about that in the future, Sara. For the time being, the house in the second to last picture is a good example of what St. Louis architecture transitioned into after the Second Empire–a restrained version of Romanesque and other Eclectic Revival elements influenced by European styles.