I hope my readers understand why these seemingly humble and insignificant houses on Ohio Street, just up the block from the stately St. Francis de Sales Roman Catholic Church, are such wonderful buildings, and deserving of being saved. I looked at them originally back in 2014, and then again in 2016. These are very old, from at least the 1870s or even earlier, and while they are small, their placement on their parcels allow for a blank canvas for gardens or other semi-public spaces.

Likewise, there is slow but steady movement on Gravois, and while the backs of the buildings are not terribly attractive right now, there are developers who want to revive the major artery of South St. Louis, and this will not stay like this forever.

And honestly, the well-preserved street wall buffers and protects the residential neighborhoods from the noise and exhaust of the traffic on Gravois.