In May 2010, U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan visited the site of the former Pruitt-Igoe housing project. Afterward, he shared his thoughts with St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorial writer Eddie Roth. Roth produced a lovely short video combining many striking images from the Post archive with Donovan’s comments. Donovan’s statements about the Pruitt-Igoe legacy are smart and eloquent, although his insistence on the wisdom of demolishing all American high-rise public housing is questionable.
One thing that all interpreters seem to agree upon is the complexity of Pruitt-Igoe’s legacy. The differences lie in whether the design itself could have been salvaged and made to work. Rampant dismissal of the design has led to a strong and largely unquestioned narrative about the causal relationship between high-rise apartment buildings and the conditions of poverty. With almost all of the towers in this nation gone, we seem to be faced with a culture of poverty only stronger and wider than when Pruitt-Igoe’s last tower was opened in February 1956.
To learn more about the history of Pruitt-Igoe, attend one of the upcoming screenings of the wonderful documentary The Pruitt-Igoe Myth. Screenings are scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 4th at 12:00 noon, both at the Tivoli Theatre.
Working in conjunction with 5th Ward Alderwoman April Ford-Griffin and the non-profit group Community Renewal and Development, Inc, the Preservation Research Office submitted a National Register nomination for the St. Louis Place Historic District earlier this year. We are happy to report that the document was approved by the Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation this past Friday, May 20th, paving the way for its review by the National Park Service and its ultimate listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Griot Museum of Black History occupies the former Sacred Heart Parish School at 25th and St. Louis (1906).
This process often involves streamlining nomination drafts in cooperation with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in order to more effectively illustrate a district’s significance. We originally argued that St. Louis Place was significant as an example of mid-19th century community planning and as a north-side hub of German and Irish immigrant cultures. However, SHPO staff found that evidence of the Irish presence in the neighborhood has been so drastically diminished that it should be cut from the nomination. In light of the tragic 1986 demolition of the Church of the Sacred Heart, the focal point of St. Louis Place’s Irish community, we have to agree. Yet many landmarks do remain, from the Sacred Heart School (now the Black World History Museum) to the grand mansions along St. Louis Avenue built by some of the city’s most prominent Irish citizens.
Sacred Heart Church, 25th and University Avenue, as it appeared around 1971. Photograph from the Heritage/St. Louis Collection, Landmarks Association of St. Louis.
Looking southwest along Chouteau Avenue just west of Jefferson Avenue.
Yesterday, the Preservation Board unanimously approved demolition of four buildings on the south side of Chouteau Avenue just west of Jefferson Avenue. Last April, the Board had unanimously denied demolition to owner Crown Mart 40 (See “Preservation Board Spares Chouteau Avenue Buildings; Now What?”, April 30, 2010.) The meager silver lining here is that the Cultural Resources Office, whose staff recommended denial of the permits, gets to approve a landscaping and fencing plan for the site before a demolition plan goes through.
Landmarks Association placed the buildings on its 2010 Most Endangered Places list with the strong statement that “the idea that rows of historic buildings can be plowed under as collateral damage in a short-term cat and mouse game between business competitors, is treated with the contempt that it deserves.” However not one person testified against demolition yesterday, nor did any person send a letter. two Gate District residents and a neighboring business owner either testified or sent letters supporting demolition, and Alderwoman Kacie Starr Triplett (D-6th) made a personal appearance supporting demolition.
The larger issue for time-ravaged Chouteau Avenue is that there is precious little historic context left, and many vacant lots. While these buildings are lost, the character of the street will remain inconsistent and graceless. Perhaps Chouteau between Broadway and Grand Avenue needs a zoning overlay to guide future development. A major artery running alongside densely-populated neighborhoods south of downtown ought to look a lot better that Chouteau does.
Sportsman's Park photograph dated October 1, 1931.
A new arrival in our photographic collection is this 1931 photograph of Sportsman’s Park at 2911 North Grand Avenue (at Dodier Avenue, visible at the bottom of the photograph). The grandstand structure shown here dated to 1909 and was demolished in 1966. Much has been written about Sportsman’s Park itself, but what interests us most about this image is the density of the built environment around the ball park.
The Sportsman's Park site, now occupied by the Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, as it appears on Google maps today.
The front elevation of the Sun Theater. Photograph by Michaela Burwell-Taylor.
There seems to be some confusion as to the fate of the elegant, vacant Sun Theater at 3627 Grandel Square in midtown. The sumptuously-ornamented theater has been owned by the Land Reutilization Authority since 2009, when long-time owner Grand Center, Inc. conveyed the theater to the city. Before and after that transaction, news about the theater has ranged from an absurd plan to dismantle the front elevation and rebuild it on Grand Avenue adjacent to Powell Hall to a promising but unsuccessful effort by KDHX to convert the building to its studios. The Sun was on Landmarks Association’s 2007 Most Endangered Places list.
The western wall. Photograph by Michaela Burwell-Taylor.
Currently, according to Grand Center, Inc., the nearly-completed rehab of the Pythian Building to the east for the Grand Center Arts Academy will be followed by rehabilitation of the Sun Theater into the school’s auditorium and performance space. Yet after a storm in late February caused masonry damage to the western wall of the Sun, the LRA issued a request for proposals (RFP) to demolition contractors for demolishing the venerable theater. One demolition contractor reports that LRA would not allow interior access to prospective bidders.
From Louis Sullivan to Philip Johnson: A Look at St. Louis Commercial Architecture
Saturday, May 21 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.
The Friends of American Art and Design of the St. Louis Art Museum invite you to join us for our next program on Saturday, May 21 as we head downtown to explore some of St. Louis’ historic architecture. In 1888, the tallest building in St. Louis wasn’t a skyscraper — it was a sugar refinery. As industry demanded ever taller and larger buildings, technology evolved to accommodate it. Join us as we travel the landscape of downtown St. Louis, tracing the architect’s quest for height and mass throughout the 20th century. We’ll look at warehouses, power plants, industrial sites, and skyscrapers from Louis Sullivan to Philip Johnson.
Our bus will depart at 9:00am from the Museum and return by 12:00pm. We will be guided by local architectural historians Michael R. Allen and Lynn Josse. We will tour (both by bus and on-foot) some of the city’s notable landmarks. Beverages and a snack will be served. Thank you for your dedication to the arts and patronage to the Museum. Should you have any questions feel free to contact us at 314.655.5390 or members@slam.org. The tour fee is $25.
Brick theft destroyed this building on the 1900 block of Wright Street. Photograph from February 25, 2008.
The city’s brick theft crisis may be ended if the Board of Aldermen passes a proposed ordinance intact. Last Friday Alderman Freeman Bosley, Sr. (D-3rd) introduced a long-awaited new ordinance to tighten regulation of brick dealers. The bill, BB 57 (link to full text), makes the following changes to existing city law:
Limits brick yard operation to between 5:00 a.m. Monday and 6:00 p.m. Friday. A lot of brick theft and fencing takes place on weekends. This change would not stop theft and fencing from happening on weekends, of course, but it would allow the city to shut down any yard open on the weekend.
Cameras required during business hours to record every transaction. This makes sense. The fly-by-night yards will have a hard time meeting this requirement since they use open air spaces lacking electricity and shelters.
Dealers must photograph every seller’s vehicle and all of the bricks purchased, and also get a copy of a valid demolition permit. These are again very smart changes. The photography requirements are clear and will mandate records of vehicles. This will help combat the practice of crews using the same vehicle with different drivers. The requirement to obtain a copy of a valid demolition permit really is the law that we’ve needed for years. That is plain, simple and enforceable.
The Director of Public Safety shall have power to revoke any brick dealer permit. This is another big and fundamental policy change. There is a notification and hearing process, so it is fair but tough. The Director of Public Safety won’t need to go after more than a few dealers, but in those cases will have a swift and direct way to take them out of business.
Each stolen brick shall be considered a separate instance of theft. Currently, the maximum misdemeanor penalty under city law is $500, and voters rejected the last proposed increase. However, $500 per brick will add up quickly — as will the alternative possibilities of 90 days sentence or community service per brick.
Alderman Bosley’s bill goes straight to the center of the brick theft economy by shifting the penalty burden to dealers. Dealers are convergence points in the network, and it is nearly impossible to catch all of the thieves. Taking out dealers who buy stolen goods may disrupt the network. Of course, there is a possibility that less-regulated brick dealers in St. Louis County or the Metro East will step in and fill any void for fencing stolen brick that this bill would create. Ideally, the Board of Aldermen will pass Alderman Bosley’s bill and soon after adjacent municipalities and counties with brick dealers will pass similar laws. However, stolen brick usually does not travel far, so the proposed ordinance will do a lot of good in itself.
Twelfth Annual Big BIG Tour on Sunday, May 15, 2011
St Louis’ only free city-wide tour of for-sale residential properties will kick off its 2011 Big BIG Tour on Sunday, May 15, 2011 from 11am to 3pm with the City Living Expo.
The City Living Expo and Big BIG Tour starting point is St. Louis Language Immersion Schools, located at 4011 Papin St., St. Louis, MO 63110 just south of the eastbound Hwy 40 / I-64 off ramp onto Vandeventer Ave. St. Louis Language Immersion Schools is a great central location in The Grove District / Forest Park Southeast Neighborhood, allowing attendees to easily explore the Big BIG Tour properties listed throughout the City.
Two weeks ago, the Sheldon Art Galleries kicked off the St. Louis end of National Preservation Month with a tour of four houses designed by Isadore Shank. Shank (1902-1992) was one of St. Louis’ most masterful designers of Modern buildings, and his career produced many significant residences, apartment buildings, office buildings and even a city hall. Shank and his colleague Jim Auer also laid out the Graybridge subdivision in Ladue.
Siegel House (1956), 5 Sherwyn Lane in Ladue.
Shank’s residential legacy was well represented by the Sheldon’s selection of Isadore Shank’s own house (1940), the Siegel House (1956), the Limberg House (1960) and the Kraus House (1977). The range of dates shows the evolution of Shank’s engagement of masonry (including recycled brick), wood elements, natural light, the open plan and site placement. Although interior photograph was not allowed, the exteriors demonstrate well Shank’s search for harmony between built and natural environment as well as interior and exterior worlds. (Ted Wight has posted interior photographs of the Shank House here.)Â Here we present two of the houses on tour built just four years apart, the Siegel and Limberg houses.
