For the last several decades known as the Old House in Hog Hollow and currently operating as a wine bar, the Ravens-Quaethem House was originally built in 1859 with a significant expansion in 1912. It was named Panorama due to its views of the Missouri River Valley below. Apparently one of the early owners herded…
Tag: Restaurants
Sara Lou’s, February 2026
Sara Lou’s is not doing well. We’re still holding out hope that an investor can come in and save the building, but that needs to happen soon. No, the current state of the building is not due to the tornado on May 16, 2026.
Courthouse Square, Perryville
We’ll start our tour of Perryville in the courthouse square, with the Perry County Courthouse, constructed in 1904. The architects were Caldwell and Drake of Columbus, Indiana and the building cost approximately $32,000. It is on the National Register. And of course there’s a statue of a Union soldier in the lawn out in front….
South Seventh Street Between Geyer and Lafayette Avenues, West Side
I was heading up South Seventh Street (no, it’s not South Broadway) north of Geyer, which is the eastern border of Soulard, and I was admiring the buildings to my left. Of course, it must be terribly loud with all the trucks driving up and down the street to the interstate, making quality of life…
River Roads, Then and Now
It had been awhile since I’d checked in at the site of the former River Roads Mall, and the contrast between 1962 and 2025 cannot be greater. But perhaps it also reflects the changing pattern of suburban shopping; large, anchor-based shopping centers are being demolished and replaced with single parcel stores, each with their own…
Rock Island, Illinois, Part Two
We next headed down to what I think is the Old Chicago neighborhood of Rock Island, which has seen redevelopment and the construction of mixed-income public housing. The color blue has also been a popular choice for the older houses. Unlike Davenport, Rock Island has most definitely chosen to have a levee, which is straight…
Eighteenth Anniversary of Saint Louis Patina: Bombed Out Jack in the Box
Update: A devastating tornado ended up striking the afternoon this post was published. The Jack in the Box is now a Mexican restaurant named Antonio’s. I really didn’t have much planned for the eighteenth anniversary of this website/blog/whatever you want to call it, but then I thought of the bombed out Jack in the Box…
Sidney Street Between Lemp Avenue and Salena Street, South Side, Revisited
I’ve looked at this stretch of Sidney Street in Benton Park almost exactly four years ago to the week, but the light was looking so right that I thought I’d revisit the houses and storefronts that make this streetscape one of the most interesting in the city. These first buildings above are sandwiched between Interstate…
Theaters Demolished, Chesterfield Mall
The last expansion to Chesterfield Mall, the AMC theater with a food court, Borders and Cheesecake Factory, was demolished in the last couple of weeks.
Kingswa Building, Renovated
I originally looked at the Kingswa Building at the northwest corner of Chippewa Street and Kingshighway all the way back in June of 2009. Then, as now, it is the last urban, walkable building at the intersection, at what is a largely autocentric part of the city. Thankfully, there has been extensive rehabilitation and redevelopment…