I was extremely pleased to see that Blackline took on the difficult task of renovating the old St. Thomas of Aquin parish school. It is in Dutchtown, which is seeing increased not-for-profit investment, but also extensive out-of-town predatory speculation. The former church is nearby.
Sure, the windows were probably not black originally, but it’s more important at this point in the fragile neighborhoods of the South Side east of Grand and south of Gravois to just get people back in these buildings and get the lights back on. The inside looks beautiful, and another abandoned building has now been brought back on to the tax roles.
I went to grade school here, and my dad was the janitor here for many years. Several of my siblings went here as well. So good to see it getting another chance. It was always a beautiful building, and I have driven by it many times over the years. Hoping the neighborhood will rebound also.
Wow, that’s so cool! Did you live nearby? What was the neighborhood like at the time?