We met a homeowner in one of those HUD houses, as we call them, who’d lived in the neighborhood for forty years. We talked for a while and discussed the house next door, with a mysterious terracotta coat of arms above the door.

The man thought it was related to a Jewish group, but I had also heard a long time ago that it might have been an African American fraternity (there is such a house in Hyde Park still). Does anyone know?

The photo below shows how its party wall, or actually the wall of the house next door, is still attached. The wood timbers allowed for the attaching of lathe for plaster.

You can also see the chimney flue above, as well, from the first floor. We were all surprised the window air conditioner had not been stolen.

 

The building below shows you what happens when water infiltrates behind the front layer of brick and freezes and busts off the brick, sometimes in a dramatic fashion.

I’m teaching a two week class today, March 26 and April 2 at OASIS Clayton about the history of brewing in St. Louis. Breweries I’ll be discussing will include Anheuser-Busch, Lemp, Falstaff and others. To sign up, click here and search for class #141. Class starts at 10:00 AM.