I’ve become intrigued with the so-called South St. Louis Suburb, a giant swath of area platted on July 14, 1858 by the surveyor Salomon (anybody have any information on him?). It was deep in the conutry, far from where the City and consisted of dozens of blocks on either side of South Grand Boulevard, itself laid out in 1850. But it shows an optimism in the decade before the Civil War that St. Louis would grow much, much further than the current settlement at the time.
Much of that addition is south of Meramec Street, where Grand turns at an angel to match the grid of the Carondelet Commons Fields in the old Resurrection parish. I’ve become fascinated with this area, largely because I’ve ignored it for nineteen years.
And oh, what a wonderful little forgotten corner of the city! I’ll head down Grace Avenue in the Wolf & McDermott Subdivision on April 2, 1909 by Bouton.
While at first we see Dutch Colonials, when we cross over Bingham Avenue, we see a change in architecture.
These really unique two family flats with a lot of character.
They’re bisymmetrical, with two front porches and two balconies. I love the terracotta tiles that survive on some of the buildings.
These were constructed later in 1925 in the Cleveland Subdivision of 1916 by Brose and Julius Pitzman. We then reach Osceola Street.
