It dawned on me that Forsyth Boulevard west of Forest Park is the natural continuation of that parade of mansions along Lindell Boulevard, many designed by Maritz and Young, that terminates at Washington University.
As was already present on Lindell, the houses are positioned laterally towards the street wall, reflecting their owners’ reliance on the automobile and lack of concern with the greater distance needed to walk between them.
But let’s be honest: the masterpiece of Maritz and Young on the street, and perhaps in total, is the George Taylor House, constructed in 1925. While it’s the Tudor Revival, it’s not so simple.
The massive, centerpiece stairwell tower is often described as “Norman Revival,” and if you look closely, the slate tile roof is most likely artificially rusticated.
The half timber construction, along with art glass, interspersed with brick curtain walls create the appearance of several building campaigns when in fact there was only one.
Cut stone is used to accent the window treatments.
But the rise of Hollywood brought the Spanish Revival to St. Louis, as well. The William Lewin House was designed by Maritz and Young in 1925.
The L. Guy Blackmer House, another house built by the firm in 1925, is next door and shows more of the “country estate” look common at the time.
More houses show the influence of the French countryside.
The Henry Friedman House, another work of Maritz and Young, was constructed in 1927 for the wealthy graduate of Harvard who owned a large women’s clothing manufacturing company.
As was typical of the style, the facade is asymmetrical and features picturesque decorative elements that perhaps don’t make sense, such as windows in the large compound chimney.
The interior is relatively simple, but instead relies master plasterwork and ornamental metalwork for decoration.
Well at least each residentially zoned street /road has a sidewalk beyond the front door for all those older mansion developments 🙂 There are no front lawn sidewalks on North Ballas Road between Clayton and Manchester. Even if having sidewalks would make it safer to walk/bike towards Des Peres without taking your car out for some objectively wastefully short journey
Plus I also know the late childhood house of a certain Vincent Price Junior is located on this certain street named Forsyth. Like if he were alive today within some make believe, perpetually time static world. There would four questions I would to ask him. The first one would be “when did you start showing an interest in stage acting before it became a passion?” While the other three will be about a generations bygone Saint Louis region.
2. Like did you know any local marionette puppet makers you used their creations as acting props for a few small scale theater shows? The New York City suburb of Rye had it’s Leslie and Mabel Beaton puppet doll makers around the late 1930s to 1950s. With both being very lucky in having some national scale “generational 15 minutes of fame” for such a niche craft
3. Did your father moved to the Saint Louis area for some geographic logistical reasons when it comes to the distribution side of business?
4. How did your dad deal with the competition of those less administratively fragmented large scale candy companies like Ferrara Pan and Brach’s during the depression?
I know this post is a very long one, but I would be a bit appropriate knowing that a certain Price family use to live here many generations ago.