I think I’ve joked before with readers, and definitely with many of my friends, that I like the winter because the leaves are off the trees, providing clear views of St. Louis architecture in neighborhoods with mature vegetation. But I’ll have to admit, earlier this spring when the leaves started filling out on the trees…
Tag: Gravois Park
Iowa Avenue Between Winnebago and Chippewa Streets
It’s a busy week around St. Louis Patina headquarters so posts will be brief, but we’ll take a look at Iowa Avenue south of the famed Iowa Buffet, at the corner of Winnebago Avenue. A couple of early Greek Revival houses are surely some of the earliest houses on the block. The house below looks…
That Sinkhole on Potomac
Well, interesting. A large sinkhole has formed on Potomac Avenue between Michigan and Minnesota avenues in the Gravois Park neighborhood. Should be cut and dry, right? Let’s go to Compton and Dry’s Pictorial St. Louis and find the sinkhole that was filled in… But what do we find? There’s just an orchard? There is a…
Good News on South Compton Avenue
A house in Gravois Park, whose fate I voiced my concern about back in August of 2023 after the demolition of its neighbor has a new lease on life after the WJL Companies bought it from the LRA and started a complete gut rehab. We’ll check in on it when it’s completed.
Two Fires
Two notable fires happened in the last week or two, and we’ll start with one in the 2800 block of Cherokee Street. I have to admit I didn’t even realize the building was vacant; it has hosted a rotating cast of different carryout restaurants. It’s a sad turn of events on a major thoroughfare. It…
Former Lutheran Hospital, Looking Rough
The old Lutheran Hospital, later known as the St. Alexius Jefferson Campus to distinguish itself from the now-closed South Broadway Campus, and also home to the recently defunct Lutheran School of Nurshing, is looking pretty rough. Working our way around counterclockwise, we see just how much vandalism, illegal entering and other just general dilapidation has…
Tennessee Avenue Between Potomac and Cherokee Streets
The house above at the northwest corner of Potomac and Tennessee has been painted white since at least 2007. Let’s continue north. Reflecting the elevated terrain, the houses are higher up on this block, when grading brought the street down to a lower level. Compton and Dry is sort of funny to look at for…
Tennessee Avenue Between Miami and Potomac Streets
Crossing Miami on Tennessee, we see one of those classic St. Louis apartment buildings that is really just a series of four-families built contiguous to each other. I love these houses where they used white glazed brick to mimic ashlar stone. This house below looks perfect for a transplant from Baltimore, the land of Permastone….
Tennessee Avenue Between Chippewa and Miami Streets
I thought I would look at Tennessee Avenue in the Gravois Park neighborhood, starting at Chippewa Street, heading north. Skipping by some in-fill and vacant lots, we arrive at the southwest corner of Winnebago, where there is this church. While the neighborhood was platted out early in the St. Louis Commons, most the housing stock…
Other Fall Updates, Fires, Demolitions, Etc.
It finally happened, the Mullanphy Emigrant Home, which I last looked at back in June of this year, caught on fire and burned to the ground on the night of September 14th. There is certainly no grand conspiracy, but simply the fact that overnight lows reached 50 degrees, and a squatter’s fire probably spread out…