By Sue Tepas and Gee Stuart
The Neighborhood: A History of Skinker-DeBaliviere, which made its debut at the 1973 Art Fair-House Tour, has recently brought some outside attention to our neighborhood. (Copies of this 51-page booklet are available at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council Office for $1.00).
The History was featured in an August 9th article by Ellen Sweets in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch West Area Section along with a picture of our three local authors, Gee Stuart,
Kathy Harleman and Sue Tepas.
This article made the very valid point (also made by the authors in the History) that information from about 1915 to the present was sketchy and needed to be filled in.
The authors would like to begin a column in The Paper called “I Remember When” which would feature an interview or an essay by an old-time resident (before 1965) concerning life as it was here during a specific period. The information gathered in this way will be incorporated in the next edition of the History.
Anyone who has remembrances they would like to share, or perhaps old pictures of the neighborhood, should call any one of the three authors listed above.
Heritage/St. Louis Asks For Our Help.
As a result. of the effort made in writing the History, our neighborhood has been asked to research the area and write a report for Heritage/ St. Louis, a group “organized to make a comprehensive inventory of historical structures, areas and sites in the City of St. Louis.”
Such an effort is being made in major cities across the country.
Heritage/St.Louis is sponsored by the Landmarks and Urban Design Commission of the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis City Plan Commission, Landmarks Association of St. Louis, Inc., and the St. Louis Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The basic reasoning behind such groups is that you must first know what you have and they try to preserve the best of it.
Heritage/ St. Louis published a report on the Soulard Neighborhood to coincide with Soulard’s recent festival, and intends to do a series of reports on various architecturally and historically significant neighborhoods in the City.
A portion of our neighborhood has already been photographically surveyed, and the rest will be done when the leaves are off the trees.
As the Soulard Report says:
These field surveys are evaluated by the Architectural Review Committee. Selected Structures and areas are then assigned to researchers for investigation. The goal is to discover, designate and document the structural and urban design heritage of city as a means of aiding its conservation and useful life.
A preliminary report on Compton Heights is nearly ready and one on Clifton Heights has already been published. Kathy Harleman, Sue Tepas and Gee Stuart have agreed to coordinate this overall survey. These three feel that with additional help they can probably research the Rosedale-Skinker area.
Parkview, Washington Heights, and the Catlin Tract (Lindell) will be organizing their own volunteers under a coordinator for each of these areas.
Anyone interested in heading the effort for their particular area should call Gee Stuart (721-0053) or Sue Tepas (862-3783).
All pertinent material unearthed during the work on the History will be available to the area’s coordinator.
The Heritage/St.Louis survey form asks for several kinds of information on the highly-rated structures, backed by specific sources: first owner of a residence, date house was built, architect, notable persons or events connected with the house, original plans or specifications (if available), old photographs, any research sources known personally.
Volunteers can specialize in any topic listed for any amount of work they can do.
It is hoped that block clubs will form their own research units.
To show us where we can find the information we need, Heritage/St. Louis will hold special free seminars for Skinker-DeBaliviere volunteers, at their convenience, to explore the resources of the St. Louis Public Library, City Hall, and the Missouri Historical Society.
This is a golden opportunity for our neighborhood to make itself known to the rest of the metropolitan area.
Our Art Fair-House Tour of 1974 could reap the benefits of a Skinker-DeBaliviere report published, say, May 1st, as Soulard’s festival did in 1973. But we’ve got to start NOW!
The Word Is Spreading.
As copies of the History have spread beyond the confines of our neighborhood, interest has arisen in this area of the City so long ignored.
KFUO Radio’s Patti Teper broadcast an interview about the history with Gee Stuart and Sue Tepas during her popular program of August 28th.
The Women’s Society of Christian Service at Grace Methodist Church invited Kathy Harleman, Sue Tepas and Gee Stuart to speak at their weekly luncheon on September 18th, about the History and the neighborhood today. Post-Dispatch Architecture Editor George McCue has purchased a copy for his files.
So send a copy of the History to an old neighbor today, and ask your friends to write down memories for the new “I Remember When” column!
“The Questers”.
The Questers, a “national nonsectarian, non-political, non-profit organization devoted to the study of antiques and to the preservation, restoration and study of historical buildings and antiques,” responded to the Post-Dispatch article on the History.
There are several chapters of The Questers in the St. Louis area, none in the city.
Anyone interested in more information or in forming a local chapter should contact:
Mrs. Patrick C.Lennahan 711 Yale Avenue St. Louis, Mo. 63130 Phone: 727-3955
Original photograph caption
Original silhouette illustration printed with The Neighborhood Draws Attention, The Paper, September–October 1973, page 4.
Originally published in The Paper, September–October 1973.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1973_09.pdf, printed page(s) 4, 5.
