Revisiting Carondelet: South Broadway Between Nagel Avenue and Quincy Street

Street View at 7229 South Broadway, Photograph by Department of Streets and Sewers, 1915-25, Missouri History Museum, P0245-S03-00003-8n

South Broadway is where the industry and the people met in Carondelet, and the businesses that served both line both sides of the thoroughfare that was originally known as Carondelet Road for much of its early history.

Below is the Southern Commercial Bank, with drive-up bank teller windows in the back.

The bank still has its night deposit and bars on some of its windows.

I looked at this building and stretch of South Broadway a full decade ago.

Update: The buildings below were damaged by fire on April 26, 2023.

On the northwest corner, however, is a tour-de-force rowhouses with storefronts on the first floor. They’re Greek Revival in form but they’re moving towards the Italianate style.

They’ve long been occupied, even up through much of the Twentieth Century, but they’re largely vacant now. This stretch of Broadway needs more investment.

William Swekosky, Broadway and Nagel Northwest Corner, 1950, Missouri History Museum, N04883

Broadway West Side North of Nagel, Photograph by William Swekosky, 1950, Missouri History Museum, N04884

The east side of the street is largely devoid of buildings, as there were once some industrial buildings.

One of which was the Baur Mills, which you can see below.

Baur Flour Mill, Broadway and Blow, Photograph by William Swekosky, Missouri History Museum, N04934

Now there are some surreal storage tanks that dominate the horizon. If I remember correctly, some of these were affected by the Great Flood of 1993.

The old Greek Revival rows continue, though we can see that some have been demolished, their plaster left behind on the party walls.

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