All Entries Tagged With: "mid-century modern"
Green Acres: a slice of Europe in North County
Built in 1928, this fairy tale cottage on Bellefontaine Road marks the entrance to Green Acres, one of North County's most enchanting neighborhoods.
Every once in a while, I wind up somewhere in North County that most St. Louisans would never guess is located in this part of town. If I showed them a photo, ten bucks says they’d guess West County or Clayton, maybe even Ladue. But nope, these amazing gems are right here in NoCo….unique examples of vintage architecture that still feel steeped in another era.
One of my all-time favorites is a subdivision in Bellefontaine Neighbors called Green Acres, which features old world European-style homes from the 1920s and 30s, as well as a nice mix of mid-century ranches. I drove through recently and was still charmed by the meandering streets and “village” feel, not to mention the handful of houses that look like they came straight out of the French countryside…
Subdivided in the 1920s, when the Bellefontaine Neighbors area was still rural and sparsely populated, Green Acres served as a convenient retreat for well-to-do residents from the city of St. Louis, who usually traveled Bellefontaine Road to get there. Named North Broadway within the city limits, Bellefontaine had once been a frontier-era military route used by Meriwether Lewis and Daniel Bissell, but by the early 20th century it was known more as a great place for a Sunday drive, especially for those visiting local cemeteries like New Bethlehem.
In the 20s & 30s, decades before Bellefontaine Neighbors was actually incorporated as a city, the area was home to an eclectic variety of people, including socialites Maude and Hattie Gibson, who frequently hosted grand parties at their Italianate mansion, Tanglewood (c.1866), which still stands near the corner of Chambers and Bellefontaine. A 1922 Post-Dispatch article references a dance they held for their cousins, who were visiting from the Ivy League colleges Smith and Princeton.
Around the same time, just up the road, police raided the farm of Mrs. Alma Wilhelmy, whose barn was found chock full of moonshine. Another local farmer, Charles Lengue, was also found with an active distillery in his barn.
So we had moonshiners, mourners and rich folks – that’s the atmosphere in which the whimsy of Green Acres came to life. And it wouldn’t be the first time this quirky subdivision had a brush with drama…
In 1950, gangster Leo Brothers, an associate of Al Capone, was shot to death in his home at #34 Green Acres. Then around 2005, another resident claimed that her neighbor – a gay Wiccan who liked to sweep his driveway in high heels – put a voodoo curse on her daughter. Seriously.
I’m not sure if that last bit is still going on (hope not), but overall, Green Acres remains a charming, unique enclave where residents are tight-knit and few houses ever go up for sale. Right now, one of the subdivision’s newer homes – a 1951 brick ranch – is on the market for a staggeringly low price. You can see it in the slideshow below, along with a few other photos from this lovely corner of North County…
9665 Queensbury Lane: one fabulous Fifties ranch
Just as I was wrapping up another story on the plight of North County’s beautiful mid-century architecture, I happened to stumble upon this new listing and I couldn’t wait to share it! This 1957 brick ranch is located in Northfield Gardens, a tidy little neighborhood near 367 and St. Cyr, in the shadow of where the old North Twin Drive-In used to stand.
Of course, the drive-in is long gone, as are most of the area’s white residents. But I have a black friend who lives in this neighborhood, in a great house next to a meandering old section of Maline Creek, and she still marvels at what a bargain her property was. She’s not from St. Louis originally, so she doesn’t understand the whole “white flight” thing, especially when it involves leaving behind adorable, quality-built vintage houses like this…
I mean, come on! Look how cute this place is….
Three bedrooms, two baths and 1,400 square feet of classic 1950s charm – that’s what you’ll find at 9665 Queensbury Lane, all for the very modest price of $69,000.
Can you imagine what this house would sell for in a city that actually appreciates modern architecture? Like Austin, Texas, where the modern market is so hot, they have multiple real estate agents who specialize in mid-century?? It would be a heck of a lot more than 69 grand, I can tell you that…
For more photos from this mid-century gem, which sits on a large corner lot and is almost totally original inside and out, jump over to the official listing right here.
20 Dames Court: Modernism gets cozy in Ferguson
Don't let the simple exterior fool you. This mid-century brick charmer in Ferguson is brimming with classic modern style.
To many people in Ferguson, Dames Court is “that cul-de-sac with the big backwards house on it,” but for the Pilla family, it has always just been home. In 1960, the late Ben Pilla bought the last available lot on this tiny dead-end street, not far from the historic (and yes, backwards) Wildwood mansion, and proceeded to build what can only be called a labor of love.
An Italian immigrant who helped raise his brothers and sisters by starting his first job in eighth grade, Pilla worked second shift at McDonnell-Douglas in the 1950s so he could follow his real dream during the day: to become a home builder. Over time, he built houses all across North County – in Ferguson, Florissant, even Bellefontaine Neighbors – and eventually he was successful enough to quit his night job. But this house, at 20 Dames Court…this one he built for his family.
According to his son Mike, Pilla had visited the home of the man who owned Hill Behan Lumber Company and was instantly enamored with it. Not long after, he hired an architect to design something similar and then used his own crews to construct it, repeatedly telling them, “Listen, pay attention, focus…this is my house we’re building.”
Apparently Pilla was quite the stickler for quality. In fact, he was so meticulous that Mike recently found all of his dad’s original construction paperwork, neatly filed down to the last receipt. “I could tell you exactly what he spent on 16-penny nails or a particular pipe…it’s all here,” Mike says. “Overall, he put $19,000 into materials for our house and $4,500 on the lot.”
Today, Pilla’s attention to detail is still very evident. In the home where he lived until his death in 1992, and where his wife, Rose, lived until she died this summer, it’s almost hard to believe that 50 years have passed. Everything is just so clean! And except for the kitchen, which has been updated, it’s also unbelievably original.
This is one of those houses that vintage architecture fans drool over, not only because it’s stylish and well built, but also because it’s still loaded with so much retro charm. So…if you’re hunting for a new (old) home, definitely check this place out! It’s listed for just $109,900 and is located on one of Ferguson’s loveliest and most private streets…
To schedule a viewing of 20 Dames Court, contact Reggie Bomar of Prudential Patterson Realtors at (314) 504-4092.
A Mid-century gem: Lewis and Clark library
Will this unique modernist gem be lost in the name of progress?
Yesterday I wrote about St. Louis County Library’s efforts to modernize its North County branches, and I mentioned the fact that the Lewis and Clark branch has been recommended for demolition. Like many of you who emailed me in response, I was shocked to hear that the library would consider tearing down this one-of-a-kind architectural gem, which was built in 1963 by a well-known modernist architect.
Though many St. Louisans don’t realize it, the city was actually home to many cutting-edge mid-century architects, including Charles and Ray Eames, Charles Nagel, and the designer of the Lewis and Clark library, Frederick Dunn.
Born and raised in Montana, Dunn graduated from Yale University and moved to St. Louis in 1936 to open an architectural firm with Nagel, his Yale classmate. Between them, they designed a number of modernist masterpieces, including this Italian-inspired house in Ladue, the National Garden Club headquarters in South City, and Grace Episcopal Church in Kirkwood.
Throughout his career, Dunn only designed two buildings in North County – the former Faith-Salem Church at 7348 W. Florissant in Jennings, and the Lewis and Clark library, which stands out because of its bold stained glass windows, domed skylight entrance, and clean, modern lines. Luminous and simple, with glass walls and tall ceilings, the library has an open, airy quality to it. Very conducive to reading!
The library's captivating stained glass windows depict explorers William Clark and Meriwether Lewis, as well as their brave guide, Sacagawea.
Although St. Louis County Library’s current facilities plan deems Lewis and Clark “inefficient in operation and outdated in design,” I know I’m not alone in hoping that this unique building can be saved. St. Louis has already lost so many mid-century treasures. Perhaps a nice, supportive note to the library’s director would help to ensure that Lewis and Clark library is preserved, not razed.
Just to be clear – SLCL does not have any specific demolition plans in place. In fact, the Tesson Ferry library in South County (another mid-century building) will be the first branch eventually torn down and replaced. But the facilities plan does recommend demolition for Lewis and Clark…some day.
In 1804, the Lewis & Clark expedition launched from a site less than five miles from the Lewis and Clark library.
