I don’t get down to the Southwest corner of St. Louis very often; I tend to stay inside Grand Boulevard. But when I do get down this way, I’m always blown away by the inventiveness and creativity of the architecture. St. Louis Hills (a single neighborhood that is often conflated to refer to half a dozen neighborhoods southwest of Kingshighway and Arsenal) represents the best of St. Louis’s most stable areas. Francis Park, a large swath of green space, sits right in the middle of it. Today, and the following days, we’ll touch on one side of the park at a time. Each are different; the west side is mainly large, single family houses in a variety of styles.
Nottingham School sits at the northern edge of the west side of the park; it’s sort of Art-Deco in style, with some Modernist influences. The mosaics are interesting.
Thanks, Chris. How would one classify the architecture or building style of the two homes in shot 3 and shots 7 and 8?
Crap, I was afraid someone would ask! I would say a modern version of Tudor Revival, and also what I call “Gingerbread.”
I was thinking Tudor Revival as well — the turreted entryways, the exposed exterior beam-and-plaster. But there’s also something Medieval, quasi-Gothic about them — the leaded glass, the keystoned, stone arches of the doorways and loggia, etc.
And aren’t there also some Morris/Arts-and-Crafts gestures — the heavily browed gables, the narrow casement windows, and the generally cottage-y feel of the structures, despite their grandness. Which makes them charming, as opposed to imposing.
I could see that, definitely.