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Grace Lutheran
I like how churches in St. Louis don’t sit in the midst of blacktop (well, unfortunately some do), but rather are placed in the context of residential or commercial districts, built right up to the...
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Behind the Scenes at Christ Church Cathedral
The Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, Mike Kinman, generously invited me for a tour of the cathedral, pointing out many of the interesting aspects of the church. First of all, while it’s a Gothic...
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The Reredos, Christ Church Cathedral
I’m consistently impressed with the quality of sculpture in St. Louis churches. Sadly, when churches are abandoned, these beautiful stone works of art are usually the first to be targeted by...
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Hyde Park Churches, Revisited in Eastern Sunlight
One sunny morning I decided to take pictures of a couple of Hyde Park churches I normally photograph in the afternoon. The morning light, particularly on the front of the abandoned Bethlehem...
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New Weekly Blog Post at Riverfront Times Starts Today
I will be making one post a week at the Daily RFT blog starting today. Topics will focus a bit more on the people and history of buildings, and less simply on architecture. Please stop by and check...
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Friedens Church, Hyde Park, More Thoughts
A faithful reader sent me some old photographs from her old church in Hyde Park, the Friedens German Evangelical Church. Its second incarnation is still standing, but as the Compton and Dry view...
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Cathedral of St. Peter, Belleville
The Cathedral of St. Peter, the head church of the Diocese of Belleville, sits to the south of downtown. It is a Gothic Revival edifice, but with some interesting (strange?) Modernist renovations....
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St. Matthew’s Parish Church, The Ville
The beautiful parish church of St. Matthew sits right on the border between the Ville and the so-called Greater Ville. It is a masterpiece of German Gothic Revival architecture, and is still in...
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Zion German Evangelical Church
Dating from 1871, the Zion German Evangelical Church sits in splendid isolation, with only a parking lot and cemetery surrounding it. The congregation, which still exists, dates from 1838. It is...
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Gothic Revival Church, Holly Hills Boulevard
Does anyone know the original name of this church? It was certainly not originally the New Testament Christian Church. It is one of the most unique Gothic Revival churches in the city of St. Louis,...
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Historic Churches, Cairo, Illinois
From the Roman Catholic church above, to more humble buildings such as the abandoned, wood frame church below, the wealth and population is exhibited in Cairo’s churches.
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The Death of Bethlehem Lutheran
So it finally happened; Bethlehem Lutheran “collapsed” one night. Demolition seems to be on hold, though.
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William Humphreys Tomb?
This Gothic tomb hugs the side of a hillside in Bellefontaine Cemetery; I could find no writing on it, just a plaque in the ground to the right of the tomb with “Wm. Humphreys” written on it. I have...
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Bethlehem Lutheran’s Lone Tower
With permission, we examined the last remnants of Bethlehem Lutheran, where demolition is almost complete. The tower is staying for the time being. There is a strange, surreal aspect to the tower...
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This Is The End
Koyaanisqatsi (from the Hopi language), noun. 1. crazy life. 2. life in turmoil. 3. life out of balance. 4. life disintegrating. 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living. The metal...
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Arco Avenue, The Grove
I love the one story brick bungalows of St. Louis; they’re modest, but they have all the detailing that their two story brothers have. I like to think that each house was just as important as the...
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Cathedral of San Fernando, San Antonio, Texas
With some walls dating back to 1738-50, and undergoing a major renovation that transformed the Spanish colonial church into a Gothic Revival cathedral in 1868. It’s an interesting church; not...
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