St. Teresa of Avila Roman Catholic Church dates back to the population explosion and development of the Yeatman estate after the Civil War in 1866. The present church dates from 1900, and as usual, defies the normal classification of architectural styles. The church, particularly the façade, reminds me of the Roman Baroque, but there are still Romanesque Revival elements. St. Teresa of Avila is perhaps most famous for her rendering by the Baroque sculptor and architect Gianlorenzo Bernini in the Cornaro Chapel.

The front is dominated by the massive Ionic order pilasters, and the whole church is set back from Grand Boulevard, giving it a stately setting. When St. Bridget of Erin was closed, the two names were combined into one parish, creating Sts. Teresa and Bridget.

This historic photograph shows the perhaps nonconventional interior; there is no Romanesque barrel vault as would be expected as one sees at St. Anthony of Padua (which isn’t a true example, anyway).

The towers are octagonal, which is common in St. Louis churches.

The church stretches far back in the block; there was once a convent and school but they were torn down in the 1970s. I wonder what is going on with the shingles on the wall of the nave above the roof of the apse.