Fleur Del  Lys Mansion

     This home is located at 3500 Russell Ave. Saint Louis, MO.   This is a 3 story structure with 17 rooms.  There are currently 8 bedrooms and 8 Bathrooms.  

     This house was built in 1913.  The architect was William Lucas.  The first owners were  Mr. and Mrs W. E  Beckmann.  The Beckmans owned a business– W.E. Beckman Bakers and Confectioners Supply Company. The Beckmans lived in the house until 1970.  They donated it to a church.

Fleur DeLys Mansion

     The house was abandoned for 17 years and suffered much damage over the yeats.  In 1986, 2 architects bought the house and completely renovated it.  They sold it after living in there for 10 years. The next owners converted the house to a B A B named Fleur DeLys.

The Red Tower Saint Louis

Red Tower

 The Red Tower aka Bissell Tower is a historic stand pipe tower located at the junction of Bissell Street and Blair Avenue in Saint Louis. It was built in 1885.  The architect was William Eades.  It is meant to be in the form of a Moorish Minaret.

     It is 206 feet in height.   There are 9 doorways leading into a space containing an iron stand pipe and a spiral stair case.  At the top there is a platform.

     It was renovated in 2013.  There was an.attempt to.raze the structure in 1958.  It was renovated in the 1960’s.  It was listed in the National Register of Historic places in 1970.

Kirkwood Cinema

    The Kirkwood Theater was located at 338 South Kirkwood, Missouri.   It opened  as  the 642 seat  Osage Theater in 1932. It was a single floor theater.  Arthur theater took over operation in April, 1967.  It completely remodeled it. In  June 28,  1968. The lobby was remodeled in an art modern style. Seating was increased to 596. It was run as an art theater.  Arthur went out of business.   It was then run by the Moseley Group. The theater went over multiple owner ship changes.

  It currently is being used  as a condominium building.

Grand Avenue Water Tower

     This tower was built in 1871.  The architect was George Barnett. The structure is in the form of a Corinthian order column with brick, stone and cast iron trim. Height is 154 feet.

Grand Avenue Water Tower

     Inside was a stand pipe 5 feet in diameter. It was designed to hold water for fire fighting.  It also used to regulate water pressure.

     The tower was decommissioned in 1912.  The stand pipe and stair case were removed.  A vertical ladder replaced the stair case.

Top of Grand Avenue Water Tower

     In 1998, the water was restored and light floodlights added.

    The white tower is the tallest free standing Corinthian one in.the world.

     It is located at.the intersection of East Grand Boulevard and 20th Street Saint Louis

     It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on April 20, 1970.

Valley Park Rail Road Bridge

Valley Park Rail Road Bridge

Same as above

Valey Park Rail Road Bridge

Valley Park Rail Road Bridge

     This is a Baltimore through truss bridge.  It cross the Meramec River in Valley Park, Missouri.  The bridge length is 500 feet.  It currently carries one track, but has space for a second.  It was built for the Saint Louis -San Francisco Railroad.  It currently is used by BNSF Railroad.  The substrate is concrete and stone masonary.  It was built in 1923.   It is a replacement of a prior bridge.It was constructed by the American Bridge of New York.

Historic Kirkwood Train Station

Kirkwood Railroad Station

Same as above

Same as sbove

Same as above

     The original station in Kirkwood was built in 1863. It was wood frame.  It lasted only til 1893.

     In 1893, the Missouri Pacific Railroad hired Douglas Donovan to build a replacement station made of stone. Its exterior is made of random Ashlar light colored stone.

     It features porte cochere and a main entrance set within a large round arch.  There is a curved bay facing the tracks. This is topped by a turrett.with a conical roof.

    In the early 2000s, the station was briefly closed.

     There is an atm, no elevators, pay phones, no vending machines.

     The building is currently undergoing a renovation

Spencers Grill Kirkwood, Missouri

    Bill Spencer moved from Arkansas to Saint Louis during the Depression.  He was looking for work.  He met his wife Irene Harlow when they were bith working atthe same  restaurant.  They married in 1941. They purchased an.existing restaurant. Lee Grill at 303 South Kirkwood Road.  They renamed it Spencer’s.  The restaurant at this location operated only 2 years.

Same as above

     In 1947, they reopened Spencer’s at a new location–223 Kirkwood Road.  Their aim was to capture business from Route 66.  Initially, they were opened 24 hours.  Bill maintained ownership of the building until 1980.  This was the time of his retirement.

     Subsequently, the restaurant had six owners.  Currently, the owners are Mike and Meredith Chadwick.

Monument of the Naked Truth

     The Naked Truth Monument is located at 1938–1998 Grand Avenue in Saint Louis.  It is in Compton Hill Reservoir Park.  This was not the original site.  It was moved in 1969 to make way for a new interstate

     The monument was created in 1914.  The sculptor was William Wandschneider.    One the major donors was Augustus Busch.  The pedestal is 19 feet 10 inches.

    The monument was created to honor three great German American editors of the Saint Louis Westlice Post.– Carl Schurz, Doctor Emil Preetorius and Carl Daenzer.

     The statute was controversial beginning with its debut because the woman depictet is naked.   The revealing statute seemed appropriate because it was a symbol of truth.  The two torches symbolize enlightment

Pond, Monument of the Naked Truth, Water Tower

Monument of the Naked Truth

Signage Monument of the Naked Truth

Monument of the Naked Truth

Monument of the Naked Truth

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum

     The original use of the building at 3524 Russell Avenue , Saint Louis was as the Third Church of Christ Scientist.  The building was constructed in 1912.  Its style is Greek.Revival.  It is a 6 column brick and stone church building with.arching stained glass windows.

Same as above