I decided after last week’s snow storm it was the perfect time to go back and visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows, which I featured most recently back almost exactly a year ago. And just like last year, just as I left the house early in the morning, a light snow began…
Tag: Belleville
Our Lady of the Snows, Mosaics
I’ve looked at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows over in Belleville twice over the years, first in 2014, when I looked at the Mary Chapel, and then again in 2015, when I looked at the Christ the King Chapel. I also wrote a short article about it for St. Louis Magazine. But…
Former West Belleville Township High School
Update: The City of Belleville bought the high school campus back from the university and is converting it into an training center and office complex. Originally opened in 1916, the old West Belleville Township High School served the entire community, before the size of the population necessitated the breaking off and creation of the East…
The Old Factory, West Belleville
Does anyone know what this large factory-looking building was originally? It lies on Route 13, which is now South Belt Road West, and South 28th Street. The duplexes in front of the factory above clearly look like workers’ houses, built at the same time. It now seems to be occupied by some sort of recycling…
Northwest of Downtown, Belleville
Northwest of downtown Belleville, the housing is distinctly more of the workers’ cottages that I saw around the old Stag Brewery, which is nearby. Many of the houses are still in really good condition, and their owners still take pride and probably enjoy the simple and low utilities of the small footprints. There is the…
East of Downtown on Washington Street, Belleville
Heading east down Washington Street from downtown Belleville are a whole ensemble of amazing houses, such as the one seen above, which has been carefully restored. I like this little Romanesque Revival cottage sitting back from the street; it is simple and restrained, but still looks great along the street wall. The St. Clair Historical…
St. Clair County Jail
The St. Clair County Jail only has a 2.2 stars out of 5 rating on Google Maps.
Bad Mansard Renovation
Why? Just why did they have to do this to this wonderful Second Empire building?
The Golden Eagle Tavern, Revisited
So this corner tavern has quite the history. The infamous Thomas Venezia, after serving time for the racket he was running over in Washington Park in the 1990s, ran a bar here back in the early 2000s, until he turned up dead, in the house next door. Read the two part story by Malcolm Gay…
South of Downtown, Belleville
South of downtown Belleville is an interesting mix of houses, with everything from brick foursquares you might see in Tower Grove South, to below, old Second Empire houses that would fit in down in Carondelet. Some of the best Italianate architecture in the region lie on these streets, and you can see them below. St….