The ensemble of buildings around the Winneshiek Courthouse in Decorah is extraordinary in that churches fill a full two dies of the square, and the remaining two are partially filled with civic buildings. Starting on the west side and working in a counter-clockwise direction, we see St Benedict’s Roman Catholic Church. As is common with…
Tag: Libraries
Downtown Civic Buildings, Lincoln, Illinois
Oh no, they pulled a Chambord on me! But anyway, the Logan County Courthouse, constructed in 1905, is a beautiful building, nonetheless. It is relatively unadorned, and seems to be constructed out of yellow limestone or sandstone. Like many palaces in Europe, the first floor possesses rusticated stonework, while the upper stories features polished finish….
End of Winter 2023 Odds and Ends
The old Soulard Branch of the St. Louis Public Library has had several uses over the last decade besides the commercial space facing 7th Boulevard. There was “The Library” and then “The Archives.” They’re both gone. Below, in McKinley Heights, I still can’t believe that Second Empire house below is sitting vacant; the property values…
Shaw’s City House
Originally located at the southwest corner of 7th and Locust streets, Henry Shaw’s city or “winter” house was moved to the Missouri Botanical Garden after his death in 1891 (Harriett Scott died in an alley dwelling behind Shaw’s house). Honestly, by 1891 his house would have been surrounded by the first skyscrapers and I wonder…
Fayette and Upper Iowa University, Revisited
We returned to Fayette, which I looked at back in the fall of 2018. This time, the weather was sunny, and I was able to catch a more cheerful view of the town. I actually photographed this Queen Anne beauty below, which is now an AirBnB where my family stayed during our time in the…
Sachs Museum, Missouri Botanical Garden
After being closed the vast majority of my life, the Missouri Botanical Garden’s museum, one of the oldest buildings in St. Louis, finally opened up again as the Stephen and David Sachs Museum. Originally built by Henry Shaw, the Sachs Museum was built in 1859 according to plans by his favorite architect, George I. Barnett….
Henry Shaw’s Houses, Missouri Botanical Garden
Tower Grove House was the country home of Henry Shaw, which used to always boggle my mind when I was a child considering how deep in the city it is today. Also, many people do not realize it was built in stages, with the designs of at least the first part by the famed architect…
West Olive, Grand Center
Update: More like $500,000 to $1,000,000. They’re coming along on building the $300,000 houses on West Olive Street in Grand Center, and the lake I had photographed before is now gone. The new houses actually have some panache, and are turning out better than I expected. However, what was demolished could have easily been saved….
Revisiting Carondelet: Michigan Avenue Between Haven Street and Loughborough Avenue
Heading south of Haven on the west side are a row of house from a wide age range, including many old wood frame buildings. But first there are two brick houses, both of which look to be apartments now. Below, this wood frame house with a hipped roof is very old, perhaps before or just…
Third Street, Louisiana, Missouri
Third Street is the main north-south corridor in Louisiana, Missouri, heading up to the bridge that crosses over the Mississippi River. The bridge was actually just replaced in the last year or so, and recently removed. Third Street rises dramatically up the hill towards the bridge (which has no western approaches since the bluff is…