Preservation Research Officeby Michael R. Allen
Yesterday KSDK Channel 5 aired a story on St. Louis University’s demolition of the historic livery stable on Locust Street. Reporter Mike Owens did a great job laying out the potential for reuse of the building in light of the university’s claims that the building must be demolished for parking. Watch the story here.
by Michael R. Allen
The brick former livery stable at the northwest corner of Locust and Josephine Baker (formerly Channing) stands out as an expressive masonry building that serves as the western anchor of the commercial district on Locust Street that is typified by a streetscape of two-story commercial buildings. West of this building are the taller, more monumental buildings of Midtown. This building’s presence eases the harshness of the transition between the two architecturally distinct areas.
R.W. Crittenden built the first section of the two-story brick Romanesque Revival livery stable in 1885, with additions in 1888 and 1889 as well as a major remodeling in 1902 by architect Otto Wilhelmi. In 19th and early 20th century St. Louis, the livery stable was a place where horse owners boarded their horses for a fee to keep their boarding away from genteel residential streets or to store their horses while they enjoyed a day in the central city. (Another related and prevalent building type was the carriage repository.)
Located on the section of Locust Street known as “Automobile Row” because of its 20th century association with automobile distributorships, dealerships and repair shops, the building’s use by the 1920s as the salesroom of the Salisbury Motor Company comes as no surprise. In recent years, the building has been used for storage, with its windows filled in and its street elevations painted white. A spate of recent historic renovation projects on Automobile Row make it a likely candidate for reuse. Apparently, there have been many suitors in recent years although St. Louis University won out when the building was for sale in 2004.
The university plans to demolish the building for parking related to its new arena located four blocks south. On May 31, 2007, St. Louis University applied for a demolition permit. The old livery stable enjoys no protection, since it lacks both official landmark status and preservation review (the 19th Ward opts out of preservation review). Alderwoman Marlene Davis (D-19th) has introduced a bill to vacate the alley between the livery stable and a parking lot to the north.
In response to the proposed demolition, Landmarks Association of St. Louis included the building on its 2007 Eleven Most Endangered Buildings List. There is much to admire in the building’s robust form, adaptable interior and articulated brickwork. Surely a better future than demolition is possible.
by Michael R. Allen
On May 31, St. Louis University applied for a demolition permit for the former livery stable building at the northwest corner of Locust and Channing (see record here). The possible demolition had been rumored for months. If rumors of end use are true, expect a parking garage or lot where a restored and vital part of the Locust Street business district could otherwise be.
For more information about the stable, see my June 2 post, Alley Closure Bill Indicates Livery Stable May Be Endangered.
– MayorSlay.com reports that the Powerhouse Building at 11th and Clark, part of the Municipal Garage and Services Building, will soon undergo renovation.
– Vanishing STL discusses St. Louis University’s proposed demolition of the 19th century mansion at 3740 Lindell. Paul Hohmann considers the building Second Empire, while I think that it’s more Italianate.
Two demolition updates from guys named Paul H.:
At Vanishing St. Louis, Paul Hohmann reports that the gasometer at Laclede Gas Light Company Pumping Station G has fallen.
In today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Paul Hampel reports on the confusion surrounding the salvage of the cast iron storefront of the Switzer Building.
UPDATED: The Preservation Board of the City of St. Louis has published the final agenda for its meeting on Monday.
Among the controversial items are the following appeals of staff denials:
– Demolition permit for a house at 4320 Arco Avenue in the Forest Park Southeast Historic District
– Demolition of houses at 1120, 1124 and 1400 Newhouse in the Hyde Park Historic District
– Demolition of the Blairmont-owned building at 1629 N. 19th Street in the Clemens House/Columbia Brewery National Register District
– Replacement of the historic windows of the house at 59 Kingsbury Place in the Central West End Historic District (the owner has replaced — without a permit — the windows on the Colonial Revival home with Prairie School style windows)
The meeting takes place Monday, May 21, at 4:00 p.m. in the 12th floor conference room at 1015 Locust Street.
Tuesday night.
by Michael R. Allen
On the first night of wrecking the Switzer Building on Laclede’s Landing, the going was slow. The crane operator knocked loose a few columns and triggered one small collapse, but stopped wrecking by midnight. There are many nights ahead this week before the memorable painted Switzer signs on the south and north elevations disappear, and more time before the primary elevation on 1st Street is gone forever.
Several people gathered on the upper level of the riverfront parking garage to watch the wrecking.
by Michael R. Allen
Demolition of the Switzer Building begins on Monday. Supposedly the wrecking ball will make its first strike at 10:00 p.m. that day. More information is available in this post on MayorSlay.com. Demolition will not include the three adjacent historic buildings to the north also owned by Clarinet LLC. Clarinet is salvaging the cast iron storefront and much of the decorative limestone from the front elevation for potential reuse.
by Michael R. Allen
The Romanesque Revival house at 3658-60 Cook Avenue, the subject of an article on Ecology of Absence last year, is slated for demolition. The house and a connected house to the east were architecturally similar and jointly made a strong impact on the streetscape. I can think of few interconnected buildings in the city that were so compatible and whose existences seemed so deeply intertwined.
In late August 2006, a fire struck both houses and led to the demolition of the city-owned half of the pair. The other house remained in place, against the odds of reason, time and condition. Brick rustlers made quick work of the rear elevation, leaving gaping holes and revealing whole rooms. That uncertain state is now over.
The Building Division has apparently issued a permit (Geo St. Louis shows a permit application), and a wrecker’s sign now hangs on the front elevation.
While photographing the doomed house this week, I met a neighborhood resident who asked me why I was photographing the building. I offered that the building was special, and he asked me again why I was there and whether or not I would buy it and fix it up. I told him about the demolition, and he was amazed. A house like this won’t ever be built again, I said and he nodded.
The other, newer ballon-frame houses on the block will blow over in the next tornado, according to this man. Seeing how beautiful and sturdy this house was even after a fire underscored his point well.