Coolant Tanks, Armour Meatpacking Plant

Metro Cuts News Makes it to Rome

So I'm sitting in an Internet store in the middle of Rome, realizing that the budget cuts back in St. Louis are going into effect in hours, or already have struck. I saw a story about it on CNN International last night. What are we going to do? How are we going to make St. Louis a better place when people have to own a car to get everywhere? In Rome you can walk anywhere and cars are an endangered species, if a very volatile one. You get the city you pay for; Metro wasn't bluffing after all, was it?

This Is What They Tore Down Prince Hall For

Skyline

Elephant, Urn, Peacock

New Post at Chicago Patina

Come see my adventures at Washburne Trade School.

Pit Stops on the Way to Chicago

I've stopped at this rest stop a million times, and I finally snapped a picture of its umbrella-like roof. Very cool.And this is out in the middle of nowhere, north of Bloomington on I-55; I felt like I was on another planet when I ate at the McDonalds there.

Armour Smokestacks

Symbolizing industrial might, the twin smokestacks of Armour tower over the plant.Don't try to climb them, though.

Pevely Building Suffers Devastating Fire

I can't believe that such a major building is now nothing more than rubble. Thankfully the major intersection of Chouteau and Grand still possesses the other half of the Pevely complex.I went by on Monday and the fire was still smoldering. Not good. Here is an aerial view of the building before its devastating fire and destruction.I suppose it won't be long before another enormous SLU "greenspace" replaces the historic building.

The Theater of Mysteries

Historic Tax Credit Jefferson City Trip - DETAILS

All those able to come to Jefferson City *this Tuesday*, *March 24th* should
plan on meeting with Jim Farrell, lobbyist for the Missouri Coalition for
Historic Preservation and Economic Development, at the *basement-level west
entrance* of the Capitol Building at *9:45am *(the basement level is
actually a little above ground level on this side of the building - you'll
see a short staircase leading to a glass doorway).

Here is a link to a map of the capitol; I just spoke with someone there, and
if for some reason you get lost, go to the south (main/grand) entrance, go
underneath the grand staircase and enter the building - the tour desk is
right there, just tell them that you're looking for the entrance near the
cafeteria (called the Hawthorne Room) and they'll point you in the right
direction.

http://www.mostateparks.com/statecapcomplex/map.htm

We all know how important this is to the cultural and economic vitality of
our state, not to mention the fact that a significant portion of this
listserve will be perpetually unemployed if the historic tax credits die.
Please send this to every architect, developer, historian, city-lover,
historic main street supporter you can think of! WE NEED TO SHOW THAT WE
MEAN IT.

Everyone thank Paul Hohmann for figuring these details out (off-list of
course).

Written by Lindsey Derrington

Cottonwood Tree, Family Farm, Deer Creek, Illinois

The tree in the photo was planted around one hundred years ago by my great grandfather. It died years ago, following the fate of its companions from earlier storms. I remember as a child watching my 75 year old grandfather cutting up one of the cottonwoods with a chainsaw. You're only as old as you feel, I guess. The storm two weeks ago also wiped out a shed donated by FDR to farmers in the Great Depression. Note how the one giant branch is still hanging precipitously on the lower branches. Its time will come soon, too.

The View from Gateway Middle School

An allegorical photo essay of the view in four directions from the site of the old Pruitt-Igoe housing complex, the night when the school board announced the closing of over a dozen schools. Temples of Capitalism, historic 19th architecture, ugly warehouses, sensationalist news trucks, urban forest, renovated loft condos, despair, and a little hope.

New Computer

My new computer is awesome! Its name is Skynet.

Back Next Week

My computer was destroyed by a Trojan Horse; thankfully, I had already saved all of my photos onto my external harddrive. Unfortunately, I can't get to my external harddrive very easily, so posting will resume next week.

Cathedral, St. Paul, Minnesota

Announcing Roman Patina

I am going to Rome at the end of March, and I plan to take thousands of pictures of the course of the week. After that another side project will join St. Louis Patina and Chicago Patina in the Patina universe.

Fort McHenry, Baltimore Harbor

It is very cool to visit Fort McHenry on the tip of Locust Point in Baltimore Harbor. While the fort was once in the country, miles from Baltimore, the port of now wraps itself all around the fort.It was very foggy that day, but if you look closely, the fort looks much the same as it did 180 years ago.

Deer Head in Intercourse, Pennsylvania

I have no idea why this buck's head was sitting in the back seat of a car in Amish country.

St. Michael's, Maryland Churches

Long a hangout for the wealthy and powerful in DC, St. Michael's on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake is a treasure trove of historic architecture, much of it in a style much removed from St. Louis.

New Post at Chicago Patina

A cool building in the heart of the Loop.

City Affair Tonight

We're meeting to discuss the impact of the St. Louis Public Schools
announcement on February 25th on the city of St. Louis and how it will
impact neighborhood cohesion. Also we will discuss how the impending
cuts to Metro will affect the greater St. Louis region.

U.S. Naval Academy Chapel

The U.S. Naval Academy has the most unique chapel on its campus in downtown Annapolis, Maryland. It looks like a giant reproduction of the great church in Rome, the Gesu.