Meramec Elementary School is another example of an earlier building, built when Dutchtown was well out in the exurbs of St. Louis, was replaced by a later commission. In this case it was William Ittner in 1911, having adopted his famous mature style of a central portal and two matching wings with some asymmetry. And…
Tag: Italianate
Peabody Elementary School
Peabody Elementary School is another institution with a long history in the neighborhood just south of downtown that can be traced back to at least the 1870s if not earlier. At one point it became known as Clinton-Peabody, and as some readers might remember, it shared the name of the housing projects nearby. A new…
Ames Elementary School
The original Ames School was built in 1873, at the northeast corner of Hebert and 14th streets. It received an addition in the later Nineteenth Century to the east which has now been torn down. The new Ames Elementary School moved over to Hadley Street, just north of St. Louis Avenue and east of Interstate…
Birthplace of Venerable Fulton Sheen and Good News at The Pines, El Paso, Illinois
First of all, there’s great news for the old Elms Restaurant in El Paso, Illinois. I spotted two people working on the roof, so it seems its long-awaited rehabilitation has begun. I first looked at the historic house and restaurant back in July of 2012 and then again in December of 2019. But I had…
Cafe Florentine and Other Sights, Downtown, Birmingham, Alabama
Much like St. Louis and its Woolworth Building in Grand Center, Birmingham also has a two story base that was designed with the intention of later having an upper office building added. The Florentine, which is not surprisingly in the Renaissance Revival Style, was built in 1925-27 according to designs by the architect, David O….
Alabama Avenue Between Holly Hills Avenue and Iron Street
Crossing Holly Hills Avenue, we near the end of our trip up Alabama Avenue in Carondelet, as the interstate will stop us from proceeding further. There continues to be a mix of styles, showing the slow development of the neighborhood. This is the last house, at Iron Street, where the interstate cuts through and ends…
Alabama Avenue Between Loughborough Avenue and Haven Street
Just like one block over on Vermont Avenue, like yesterday, the houses are older and brick on Alabama Avenue, and they’re quite nice. Even the houses look similar, such as the one below. This was clearly the more different part of Carondelet. There are still many working class houses. But brick predominates. Note the house…
North Up Blair Avenue, Hyde Park, May 2026, Part Four
I always enjoy the moment when Blair starts heading up the hill towards the Bissell Stand Pipe and the houses sit high up on elevated earthen plinths on the left and right sides of the street. I’ve always liked this extremely old wood frame house below. I still love the Bissell tower, which is one…
North Up Blair Avenue, Hyde Park, May 2026, Part One
Now, as we head north up Blair Avenue into Hyde Park, we see this substation. A pet peeve of mine is how AmerenUE makes no effort to integrate its utilities into city neighborhoods. They’re not so ugly and obtrusive in West County; trust me. I’ve seen lots of abandonment in southern Hyde Park in the…
North Up Blair Avenue, Old North, May 2026, Part Two
We continue north up Blair Avenue today, starting at the intersection of North Market Street and seeing the first Second Empire buildings. Vacant lots are interspersed with occupied and rehabbed houses. I’ve always liked the house below, with Italianate stylings. We now make it to Warren Street, where there are commercial buildings. More vacant lots….