On Sarah, just north of Clayton Avenue and the railroad tracks is this interesting building, decked out with some intriguing ornament.
Currently, a large metal shop sits behind the building, but it is clearly much newer than the tan brick building with wonderful neoclassical details.
The lion heads, most likely in terracotta, give this building its distinctive character. I looked around, and figured out that it was the office for the Empire Brewery, which once sat on this site.
The tell-tale U.S. Steel logo, which is affixed above the front door and most likely is a later addition, points to the history of the building. I suspect that the famous steel company had a factory of some sort here, and the current metal shop is the descendant of the unique office building shown here.
That building definitely served as the offices for the Empire Brewery – the lion head served as a corporate logo/symbol. Read about it in this book:http://stlhops.com/st-louis-brews-200-years-of-brewing-in-st-louis/
Came across your blog after searching for Empire Brewery. Here’s a novel picture to go along with your information. 🙂 http://lcweb2.loc.gov/service/pnp/nclc/03400/03466v.jpg
Cool, thanks!
Sad they destroyed this building I just learn! Interesting history Steve I can use that since about 2 years ago I made a clay model of the Lioness roundel design.
Here’s a photo of the model:
http://www.randallwolff.com/sculptures/311-done2.jpg