The permanent damage wrought on the City of St. Louis can no better be shown than standing on the Clayton Avenue overpass, where the roar of the interstate is deafening. Dead Man’s Curve, as I call it, is a perfect example of how too narrow of a road has been squeezed into too small of…
Tag: Dogtown
Deaconess Hospital, Coming Down
The story of the Deaconesses, a German organization whose women members dedicated their lives to helping the sick, is amazing, and its mission continues. Sadly, their hospital on Oakland, long a landmark to Forest Park visitors and commuters on Highway 40, is rapidly coming down. There was even more demolished in the two weeks since…
Dogtown
I’m surprised I’ve never covered the heart of Dogtown, which sits on a relatively elevated location on the western edge of the city. The heart of the area is Tamm Avenue, where the neighborhood’s Irish heritage comes out. Dogtown was just always a solid, working-class neighborhood; the name supposedly comes from the dogs left out…
River des Peres
Update: I went back and revisited the area in late July of 2021. I suppose it seemed perfectly logical a hundred years ago when they covered up the River des Peres through the center of the city to control flooding. The double barreled tunnel comes out unceremoniously just north of the Hill, and just south…
Cool Modernist Apartment Building, Ellendale
These two apartment buildings sit turned at an angle away from McCausland, filling up a much larger site than their actual footprint. I like the two stone panels right in the middle of the brick walls on the ends. Interestingly, the apartments also have front door facing out onto the parking lot.
Stone Store, Manchester Avenue
I was fascinated by this building; it looks like your standard early Twentieth Century storefront in St. Louis, but it is made of cut stone. Why?
Shining Light Full Gospel Tabernacle, Manchester Avenue
This humble little church sits right by Manchester Avenue, surrounded by a car repair and a larger building that casts a glowering shadow on it towards sunset, but I still really like it. The stained glass is still preserved, and the building is well-maintained. Originally built as a German Lutheran church, it is now owned…
Art-Deco Storefront, Manchester Avenue
Heavily modified over the years, including some nice 1970’s half timber front, this Art-Deco building still has class.
Browne Building, Manchester Avenue
Wow, where to I even begin to describe the Browne Building, right on the border of the City and Maplewood. Playful, colorful and exuberant might be the best way to describe the mix of different terracotta elements in what I could best describe as Spanish Revival.