Jamestown Mall

This could be another cliche entry about "dead malls," but my recent trip to Jamestown Mall reveals that many people still have hope for the shopping center.Yes, a large number of storefronts are vacant, but there was still a fair amount of foot traffic on the three remaining wings.Also, I was happy to see that a enterprising woman had opened a new spa and salon in the wing by the shuttered Sears.I was also impressed at how friendly everyone was and how generally interested they were in my photography.

Abandoned Farmstead, Far North County

I came across this house and barn in far north St. Louis County, almost to the Missouri River.Who lived here, and why did no one move in after the last inhabitants left?Perhaps the house was in too deteriorated state that renovation seems prohibitively expensive.The barn is still in relatively good shape, though it could stand to receive a new coat of paint.

Sleazy Hotel, Kansas City

Modernist Bank Re-Skin, Webster Groves

I strongly suspected that this building, a bank, received its arcaded front some time in the 1960's. The brick wall just looked older, or not quite right.Ah ha, looking at the wall facing the alley, you can see a dentilated cornice, that reveals that this bank was once constructed in a different style.

Cool Apartment Building, Webster Groves

This post-modern looking apartment building is right on Lockwood, in the heart of Webster Groves, but I think it fits in well with the street wall, relatively.I was expecting a pool in the courtyard, but unfortunately there's just a parking lot. I love the repeating concrete blocks.

Webster Groves Train Stations

Webster Groves was a city built by the access to railroads, and the two major stations that served the area still stand. The one in downtown Webster Groves is now a Montessori school, while the southern train station, serving the Frisco Line, sits empty, though well-preserved. Sitting right by the tracks, one must wonder what use it could serve. Perhaps a small company would be a perfect tenant.

Dr. Martin Luther King Dr, North St. Louis

Natural Bridge has some amazing buildings on it, and unfortunately, it took a tornado for me to realize it.Contrary to public perception, people do care about their neighborhood up this way, and these buildings were occupied when the tornado hit.Were they occupied by the Cheesecake Factory or Houlihans? No, but they sold some interesting stuff.For example, where else in St. Louis can you buy a bidet right on the sidewalk in front of a business?No, I did not buy it. Let's not forget that there were many victims of high winds and the tornado all over St. Louis, and not just in Sunset Hills.

Mansion, Lewis Place

I have no idea really what to call the style of house shown in these pictures. Eclectic? Neo-Classical?Regardless, the house has some amazing detail, giving the house a distinct appearance.

Chase Park Plaza

St. Louis County Lunatic Asylum

This mental health facility once served St. Louis County, long ago before the city seceded.

The Flint Hills, Kansas

Eden Seminary, Webster Groves

Eden Seminary, in Webster Groves features a beautiful, if standard English Gothic main building, but I'm more intrigued by the library built in the lawn in front of the older academic hall.The massing of this strange, Brutalist building seems to be the same as some traditional depictions of the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem.Take a look for yourself here, and see if there's a correlation. It would make sense, considering it's a seminary's library.

Holy Redeemer Church, Webster Groves

I couldn't get inside the church the day I was walking by, but I imagine that the interior is bathed in color from the stained glass windows.The front elevation is strikingly simple, and certainly a bold choice for the otherwise Victorian Era architecture of Webster Groves.The bell tower is a classic example of form following function; the tower holds the bells, and that is pretty much the extent of its form.I strongly suspect the curved structure on the front is the baptistry; I find it fascinating that they are separate rooms in so many Catholic churches in St. Louis, as it is quite common in Italian cathedrals.The side of the church features sleek lines that hide the windows from the street.

Lewis Place

Lewis Place is an incredible street, lined with a wide variety of housing stock, from mansions to bungalows.I will talk more in the future about the street, which recently suffered damage from a tornado.

Valley Center, Kansas

Valley Center, Kansas is an interesting town north of Wichita, and seems to have been built largely around the 1910's or 20's, as there is an abundance of Arts and Crafts bungalows throughout the center of town. I really like this house, which actually has a port cochere, a rarity on this style of house.This cement block building on Main Street anchors this corner of the downtown, across from a massive grain elevator.I really like this stream-lined, Art Deco brick building which also faces Main Street.This cemetery, to the east of town, sits in the shadow of a water tower and interstate.