Unlike most of the area south of Delmar Boulevard which is being repaired following the May 16, 2026 tornado, there was one building, the Chesterfield, that was not so lucky. Hit by the twister and then damaged further by a fire on January 24, 2026, the building was condemned for demolition. I caught a photo…
Tag: Tornado
Washington Terrace Gates, Summer 2026
I’ve looked at the Washington Terrace gates before, first in January of 2012 and then again in November of 2014. I would probably describe the architecture as Norman Romanesque Revival, it seems like it was shrouded in ivy for much of its early existence. Readers have told me that college students or young men lived…
Nineteenth Anniversary of Saint Louis Patina
Nineteen years…I remember when I turned nineteen years old in 1997 it was fairly anticlimactic as no new privileges are unlocked like when you turn sixteen, seventeen or eighteen. Perhaps I feel the same for nineteen years for this site. I do remember when I hit my 6,000th post finally grasping the breadth of St….
Former Temple Israel, Tornado Damaged
I’m concerned about the long term condition of the former Temple Israel at the northwest corner of Holy Corners, Kingshighway and Washington Boulevard. Its roof was almost completely ripped off by the tornado of May 16, 2025, and I haven’t seen any attempts to cover the hole since then. There was an article in the…
Late Summer Odds and Ends
I had some leftover photos I didn’t have a use for, so as usual, I do an odds and ends post. The building above is on Sidney Street in Soulard just to the east of Interstate 55. By comparison, this corner storefront above on the Near North Riverfront is a real survivor, with most of…
After the Tornado: The Greater Ville, Revisited
The Greater Ville was hit hard, so badly, and much worse than I conveyed three weeks ago. The northern part of the neighborhood was largely intact, with a little bit of abandonment, and now almost every house has been damaged, and many completely destroyed. Below is Marcus Street, on the west side of Western Lutheran…
After the Tornado: The Ville, Revisited
I traveled around The Ville some more and it has been devastated. Yes, there was already a fair amount of abandonment and vacant lots, but what was intact and in good condition was damaged badly. Sumner High School suffered extensive loss of its roof, as well as some windows, from what I understand. It was…
After the Tornado: Fountain Park
Update: The ruins of the church were later demolished. Next we head into Fountain Park, where there has probably been the most media attention. I hesitated in photographing the Centennial Christian Church due to the tragic death of Patricia Penelton, one of five people who perished during the tornado. The church is planning on demolishing…
After the Tornado: Academy Neighborhood
When I crossed Union Boulevard to look at the Academy neighborhood, which was struck with the full force of the tornado, things got deeply depressing. The neighborhood is bounded by Union on the west, Delmar on the south, MLK on the north and Kingshighway on the east. First of all, I had to detour because…
After the Tornado: Visitation Park
Visitation Park is a small neighborhood, north of Delmar and just west of Union Boulevard, named after the former Visitation Academy which was once in this area. There was still some damage from the tornado, mainly in small loss of shingles to roofs. You can see the house in better times here. However, as can…