The ink was barely dry on the recent National Register nomination for downtown East St. Louis when the city government began its plan to demolish the Murphy Building, a contributing component, our from underneath the owner, who had been attempting to raise the money to renovate it.
Now there will be no chance, as the building is beyond repair, the demolition crews working quickly.
Adding insult to injury, no one was allowed to salvage the beautiful caryatids, now horribly mangled and damaged beyond repair.
Why is it that so many city governments seem to act in a manner which sabatoges their chances for future prosperity? Why are so many cities (save many notable examples in the South) so hostile to preservation and history? Why is it that the public schools of this country put massive amounts of effort and money into sports programs while actual education itself (especially history-related courses) languishes? Why is it that Americans not only increasingly embrace mediocrity, but celebrate it? Why is it that consumers can no longer distinguish between quality and crap? Why is it that only a tiny sliver of the population cares about these issues?
Clearly, we are not evolving.
Ugh… that happened so fast. ARGH. Watch, the Majestic will go next.
The owner had title for more than a decade and did nothing to fix the building. Absent, speculators who aren’t willing to spend their own capital are the ones responsible for blight, not the cities who grew tired of waiting and the public nuisance.
This building was in trouble in 1999 and they could have done something.it was a recent problem. The artifact on this building could have been taken off and sold and could have paid for the rehab