Old Kroger, Ohio Avenue Just South of Cherokee Street

This is the former home of Kroger's, robbed at gunpoint in 1959 by none other than James Earl Ray.

Aisle 1 Gallery, Cherokee Street

Aisle 1 Gallery, named in reference to its storefront's former use as a corner store, is one of my favorite art galleries in the city.

Part of the burgeoning art scene on Cherokee Street, galleries like Aisle 1 are possible because the hard work of its owners, Bryan Walsh and Jenn Carter, who live and maintain studios in the back of the gallery.

Filling an empty space with life, they've also spread out onto nearby buildings, such as the recently painted mural by Chicagoan Ruben Aguirre (with permission from the building owner, of course).

Come down and check out their opening this Friday at 7:00 PM.

Cherokee Brewery

Cherokee Brewery, once located in the 2700 block of Cherokee Street, is long gone, but traces of it still exist. Above, you can see the brewery on Compton and Dry's aerial depiction of St. Louis from 1875. Below is a postcard of the brewery; you might recognize the tall central building which is the stock house.

By the time the Sanborn Maps had documented the complex in the early 1900's, the building to the left of the stockhouse was already gone (eventually replaced by what would become 2720), but the building on the corner had become a movie theater, albeit not a very large one. It is now a parking lot.

If you look closely, you can see the markings on the wall of the former stockhouse, showing where the corner building once attached to the taller building. There are caves under the building, which are flooded with water; it is debatable whether the caves are natural, man-made or a hybrid of both.

I'm always impressed by the massiveness of this building, which you can read more about here.

Records state that the stock house was built in 1890, but it seems to have similar massing to a Cherokee Brewery building in the Compton and Dry image from 1875. Perhaps they replaced the building with a similar sized, but better built stock house. It's hard to say for certain, but it is a unique relic of the more rural era in Cherokee Street's history.

Mike Stasny

Bomb Door

Plane over Cherokee Street

Cherokee Street Details

Every time I'm down on Cherokee Street, I notice something new, whether it's been there for one hundred years, or one month.

Another Look at Gravois Park #3

Gravois Park shows different eras of buildings, from the late 19th Century to the early 20th Century. Below, these three houses demonstrate how the passage of time causes each house to slowly individualize even though they were built at once.Other buildings are clearly the same design structurally, but were individualized while being built.
The result is a sense of architectural unity while at the same time each building has its individuality.While red brick predominates on the front of buildings, tan and other colored brick begins to sneak onto the streets.

Another Look at Gravois Park #2

There's something elegant about the simplicity of Gravois Park architecture; clean lines and some ornament create beautiful houses in this neighborhood.Trees obscure the facades of many buildings, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. The green contrasts perfectly against the red brick.I'm fascinated by faded signs on the side of brick walls; it's fun to see if you can figure out what it once said.I remarked one time that it's interesting that the architecture in general doesn't reflect German or Irish tastes in architecture, but instead conforms more to the prevailing style of America at the time. Perhaps the process of assimilation had already begun, just years after these immigrants built Dutchtown.

Another Look at Gravois Park #1

Gravois Park features some beautiful architecture, and was once known as the northern part of Dutchtown, hence the old, battered signs that say "You are in Dutchtown" in this neighborhood.I love the house above; if you look closely, you can see there is a portrait bust of a bearded man in the terracotta medallion on the upper portion of the facade.No neighborhood in the city would be complete without a corner store, and this area features many, including this one which is in the process of being renovated.I also really enjoy the multi-family residences on the block, such as these two buildings with Arts and Crafts elements.

Eisele's Black Forest/El Lenador

Do you remember dining at the Black Forest back in the day, or any of the old German restaurants in South City? I'm interested, as there really doesn't seem to be much of a written record for these vanished but venerated institutions.

Angelo Olegna

Unofficially, but now officially, the Mayor of Cherokee Street.

Jeff and Randy Vines

Cherokee Street

The diversity of new and old businesses along Cherokee Street is really getting to be exciting. Come to City Affair this Thursday and meet some of the new business owners along the street.

Cherokee Street Alley

Benton Park West, Residential Streets

The housing stock surrounding Cherokee Street is amazing, a symphony in brick. Will the redevelopment of the commercial strip spread to the side streets eventually?