Looking at other houses on North Taylor Avenue, it becomes obvious that the overall context of the streetscape is that of large lots and houses. So when I read about these lots being cut up and stuffed with four or five houses, or replaced with a house that is not architecturally sympathetic, it weakens the…
Tag: Kirkwood
751 North Taylor, Under Threat of Demolition, Kirkwood
One of the oldest suburbs in the St. Louis region, Kirkwood has a wealth of historic houses, including a few that even date to before the Civil War. One of them is the Marquitz-Garesche House, which dates to 1858, and is a historic landmark in Kirkwood. You can see the interior in a recent real…
Kirkwood Public Library
Dating from 1940, the Kirkwood Public Library is located at the southwest corner of East Jefferson Avenue and North Taylor Avenue. These historic photos date from just after its completion. As can be seen below, the library has received many additions over the years, including in 1954, 1963 and 1996.
Former Epiphany Episcopal Church
Known as Church of the Epiphany or Epiphany Episcopal Church, it seems that the congregation moved to its final location at Dougherty Ferry and Ballas roads in 1960 and lasted until 2007. The interior featured a sculpture by Elizabeth Phelan of bronze and walnut entitled “Christus Rex,” or Christ the King. I do not know…
Grace Episcopal Church
Leaving behind their original church to the west, Grace Episcopal moved into their new sanctuary in 1961 at 514 East Argonne. A newspaper article related the details of the new church: designed by Frederick Dunn & Associates, it was to be built in two parts. Earlier this year I looked at Dunn’s National Garden Club…
Meramec Highlands, Revisited
The Meramec Highlands Hotel must have been a sight to behold. Sitting high up on the bluffs, just to the east of the eponymous train tunnel, it was a short ride out from the city on the St. Louis and San Francisco (Frisco) Railroad. Guests could stay at the hotel, as well as the cottages…
Meramec Highlands Tunnel
Nestled behind the backyards of a subdivision is a surprise. Near the West and East Barrett Tunnels is a third tunnel, the Meramec Highlands Tunnel, high up on a bluff overlooking the Meramec River Valley. It was constructed in 1883 by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad. Like the other two, it was replaced just to…
Yeats-Tutts House
Built by Thomas Yeats in 1830 and also known as Graystone Lodge, this house is one of the oldest in the City of Kirkwood. It was later bought by the Tutts family in the 1860s.
Former Kirkwood Athletic Fields
I was in the area so I thought I would take a look at the old Kirkwood Athletic Association ball fields down in the valley along the Meramec River. They’re looking pretty bad, to say the least, but apparently there’s a movement afoot to put them back into business. Originally, I have read, these were…
Quinette Cemetery
Long neglected and vandalized, Quinette Cemetery has now been restored by the City of Kirkwood. It is possibly the oldest African American cemetery west of the Mississippi, according to an explanatory text posted at the entrance. There is a very nice path constructed by a Boy Scout troop that wends its way around the cemetery,…