Paul McKee’s crimes are hidden during the summer more, when the giant volunteer trees and underbrush grow lush and green, concealing houses that have collapsed years ago. You see, up this way, nothing ever gets cleaned up. Here is the same ruin in the winter; I remember when the house still had brick walls… Heading…
Tag: Northside TIF
Coming Soon: Nothing! James Clemens Mansion Edition
Update: See photos of the Clemens Mansion in the 1960s here. The site is still a vacant lot. We all knew this was how it was going to end, but it still hurts to see. Note: all offers to purchase the property were rejected, so don’t pull the old, “Well, why didn’t you buy it…
Clemens Mansion, Mid-January Before Demolition
Update: See photos of the Clemens Mansion in the 1960s. The site is now vacant. Back, just when the demolition of the Clemens Mansion was just starting, I took these pictures. I am very sad to see it go, particularly because the owner, Paul McKee never put any real effort into saving it, and more…
Updates Up North
More of the front portal of St. Augustine’s church has fallen down, dashed on the steps. Or possibly, the monogram roundel has been stolen, as I do not see its rubble below. See this earlier post (second photo) to understand what is now missing. And meanwhile, the absurdity of the Northside TIF continues, as the…
Near North Side Up to JeffVanderLou
The famous blue house seems to be abandoned, unfortunately, much like the house below. The abandoned houses in the footprint of the Northside TIF are still wasting away, as well. Update: The houses above were damaged by a fire set to destroy a stolen car dumped in front of them in August of 2018. By…
Clemens Mansion: Part 3, The Effects on Neighbors
Update: Demolition of the Clemens Mansion was completed by the spring of 2018. For the old “it’s just a building” crowd, I offer the following exhibits. First is the “Sherman House,” which was gutted by fire, started by burning embers from the Clemens Mansion on Helen Street. The fire could have easily spread to occupied…
Clemens Mansion: Part 2, Further Examination
Update: Demolition was completed by the spring of 2018. See photos of the mansion in the 1960s here. The site is still a vacant lot. Under no circumstance should you get close the Clemens Mansion; the walls are far too unstable. I captured these images with a zoom lens. But you don’t need to worry…
Clemens Mansion: Part 1, What Else Is There to Say?
Update: Demolition was completed by the spring of 2018. The site is still a vacant lot. See photos of the mansion in the 1960s here. As I walked west on Cass Avenue, towards the smoldering ruins of the Clemens Mansion, the sound of water trickling as it ran out of pipes and gutters reached my…
Giant Hole Explained
So this is where the one house that is being moved will end up, on St. Louis Avenue. Thus the original Strassberger’s Conservatory was removed. Here is what the building looked like, after suffering ownership by Paul McKee for almost a decade. Strassberger’s Conservatory had long moved to Tower Grove East a century ago.
Flounder Alley House, St. Louis Place
Update: Demolished for the new National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in 2017. The City of St. Louis cut ties with Paul McKee’s Northside in June of 2018. The elderly woman who lived here has been on the news over the years, talking about how losing her house to eminent domain would be devastating to her life. She…