Christy Avenue,
South St. Louis City, MO
On the stretch of Christy Avenue between Eichelberger and Gravois sits a rather large house that tends to blend into the background. It’s a most unusual and distinctive house, yet it’s “grayness” may be what causes it to meld into the background of a row of brick buildings.
I get the biggest kick out of it’s repetition of broken pediments, which was a popular trick of the American Greek Revival style of the early 1800s. I love how both pediments invade the space of the 2nd-story windows, as if someone really wanted that Greek look but didn’t want the expense of appropriately altering the windows.
The pediments needing elbow room float over the broad curved, Neocolonial porch opening of a house that looks like a pared down Eastlake Victorian style farm house that dots the Midwest rural landscape. All of this on one city house and it still tends to disappear into the background! For being a sedate smorgasbord of architectural ideas is why I love this house.
WOW- me too. I am on Rosa about a block and a half down. Great coverage. It would be awesome to know the history behind such an interesting residence. This faces Christy park which is probably one of the most underappreciated spaces in the area. This area connects Kingshighway to Gravois and is a major intersection which would bode well for some good retail development. I wouldnt be opposed to seeing some retail happen around here since most of it is Bosnian grocery, bakeries, and bars. I consider the location of this house and mine in what I call the Southside triangle since nobody seems to know about its existence and houses in the area are very affordable while being bounded by places like Holly Hills, Carondelet, Southampton, and the like.
Thanks for capturing this one!
I know this house! I live like 4 houses down from it and walk my dog past it every day.