South Ninth Street Between Russell Boulevard and Geyer Avenue, Soulard

We cross over Russell Boulevard and notice something about this row of Second Empire houses on South Ninth Street.

They do not have front doors–only mouse holes leading to the back of the houses, where there would have been exterior staircases allowing access to the upper stories of the building. This was normal and very common in Soulard and other inner ring neighborhoods.

Compton, Richard J, and Camille N Dry. *Pictorial St. Louis, the great metropolis of the Mississippi valley; a topographical survey drawn in perspective A.D*. St. Louis, Compton & co, 1876. Map. Detail of Plate 28.

Looking at Pictorial St. Louis, where South Ninth is the street at the bottom barely visible, we see Union Park (no. 7), where William Lemp Sr. and the Stumpfs used to throw huge parties for Germans and Union soldiers; on the corner was the Union Capitol Hall (no. 8).

It was originally not as tall, and it was hit by the Great Cyclone; later it was the Bohemian Hall, before becoming the location where Smile was bottled. It’s now lofts. The Bohemians moved to 4616 Minnesota Avenue.

Then we get to some very old buildings which I strongly believe appear on Pictorial St. Louis, so that takes them back to at least 1875, but I could believe they’re much older, even the 1860s.

The one below had an open gallery on the leftmost bay, which were called “piazzas” in St. Louis and other cities. Note how the fenestration is messed up; the two right bays are buddies and the bay on the left doesn’t match. Also, as I always say, the brick doesn’t lie; it’s clearly in-filled on the left bay.

And there are certainly some more very nice Second Empire houses.

Then we get to Geyer Avenue, where I think this house received its corner storefront at a later date, becoming commercial when the neighborhood grew in density.