1 of 4
1. James Clemens Mansion, 1849 Cass Avenue. Photograph by Chris Naffziger
2 of 4
2. Columbia Brewery, 2000 Madison Street. Photograph by Chris Naffziger
3 of 4
3. St. Louis Avenue, Between Parnell and N. Florissant Avenues. Photograph by Chris Naffziger
4 of 4
4. St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, 3114 Lismore. Photograph by Chris Naffziger
The average St. Louis resident probably has never even heard of the historic St. Louis Place neighborhood. Long home to some of the oldest landmarks in the city, the area just northwest of downtown might be struggling, but it is far from defeated. Right in the middle of Paul McKee’s Northside Regeneration Project, the future of St. Louis Place now becomes more relevant than ever.
Before the Civil War, St. Louis Place was out in the country, and only began to develop in the 1870s. As the recipient of successive waves of newly arrived immigrants, the area was a victim of its own success; as each new ethnic group thrived in St. Louis Place, they set their sights west, moving into newer neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city. Sadly, the last wave of immigrants to call St. Louis Place home was not replaced, and the neighborhood’s long, slow decline began in the latter half of the 20th century.
Despite suffering some of the most severe losses of historic buildings in the entire city, St. Louis Place still boasts some of the most stunning architecture in the area.
1. James Clemens Mansion, 1849 Cass Avenue
Built by the uncle of Mark Twain, the James Clemens Mansion should be a cherished landmark in St. Louis tourism circles. Instead, this amazing example of a pre-Civil War country home, with a remarkably preserved but rapidly deteriorating cast iron façade, sits vacant. Designed for Clemens by Patrick Walsh in 1859-60, the house became a convent in the later 19th century. The accompanying chapel, which suffered a roof collapse in 2008, alludes to the mansion’s second life. Abandoned for just over a decade, it seems almost unbelievable that a city that champions its connection to Mark Twain would let such an important part of its history waste away.
2. Columbia Brewery, 2000 Madison Street
The South Side long has laid claim to the brewing business in St. Louis, hosting the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch and the former Lemp Brewery. But beer was brewed throughout the city, including within the confines of St. Louis Place. The massive Columbia Brewery, with its distinctive smokestack, also provided jobs for generations of immigrants to the neighborhood. Later rechristened Plant No. 5 in the Falstaff Brewing Company, the brewery went silent in 1967, just as urban blight began to encroach in the surrounding blocks. But the brewery hasn't stayed empty; along with the surrounding blocks of historic houses, developers converted the old plant into apartments.
3. St. Louis Avenue, Between Parnell and N. Florissant Avenues
Back before the automobile allowed the wealthy of St. Louis to live miles away from the working class, the newly prominent German businessmen who made St. Louis Place a thriving neighborhood lived blocks away from their employees along St. Louis Avenue. Their stunning Italianate, Second Empire and Romanesque Revival mansions still stand proud, and are well-maintained. While Lafayette Square rightly receives attention for possessing some of the most stunning architecture in St. Louis from the 1870s and 1880s, St. Louis Avenue easily challenges that more famous South Side neighborhood for sheer beauty and preservation of its stately mansions.
4. St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, 3114 Lismore
Standing in front of the old St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church, one quickly realizes that not everything is perfect in the St. Louis Place neighborhood. A congregation that once boasted thousands of parishioners dwindled until the Archdiocese closed the church in 1982; the blocks surrounding the church sit vacant and devastated by brick theft. But the amazing edifice, towering over the empty fields, offers hope for the neighborhood. If St. Louis once had the ambition to build such a gigantic Gothic Revival masterpiece, it certainly can find inspiration to save this forgotten but historic corner of the city.
For more on St. Louis architecture, visit Chris Naffziger’s blog, stlouispatina.com.
