The Way reminds me of ancient ruins, columns tumbled here and there, like at Paestum. It has remained the centerpiece of Laumeier for decades.
Cromlech Glen
Cromlech Glen, a giant installation sculpture at Laumeier Sculpture Park, is one of my favorite works at the park. It has slowly begun to deteriorate, gain a patina, over the decades, much as its designer originally intended.
Laumeier Mansion
The Laumeier Mansion in the eponymous park, designed by Ernst Janssen, is a great example of the influence of Maritz and Young style country estates that popped up around the county in the early Twentieth Century. The garage and a small gatehouse survive as well. The gatehouse is also a nice little composition, and an…
Marx Hardware, Old North
Apparently this is the last generation that will operate Marx Hardware, and it will close forever when this generation retires.
I Love What You’ve Done with the Place
Update: The roof collapsed in 2014. The house continued to deteriorate even more in June of 2018 and the winter of 2019. The house was demolished by July of 2019. I love what Paul McKee has done with this property. It didn’t look like this when he first bought it with one of his shell…
Frame Houses, Old North
Some of the oldest houses in any neighborhood will be the wood-frame houses, such as these clustered around Knapp Street in Old North. Some are occupied, some I remember being occupied, and others have always been vacant. Update: The houses above owned by Paul McKee were gutted by fire set by an arsonist on April…
Holly Hills East of the Railroad Tracks
Smaller houses and multi-family buildings predominate east of the railroad tracks in Holly Hills, with busy Grand Boulevard nearby. Still, however, the housing stock remains well-maintained. What will its future hold, however, if slumlords get their hands on this inexpensive real estate?
Railroad Tracks, Holly Hills
The railroad came to what would become Holly Hills first, and it remains. There are far more at-grade crossings than in central St. Louis.
More Side Streets, Holly Hills
Holly Hills was suburbia when it was laid out, early automobile suburbia, but suburbia nonetheless. There are still some alleys, but for the most part, drive ways begin to intrude into the streetscape. There are fewer and fewer multi-family buildings. The architecture has moved away from strictly red brick, and the experimentation with more medieval…