Historical December 1976 progress report on the proposed historic district. Proposed boundaries and requests for historical information describe the original period.
The contacting of industrial companies about proposed industrial standards for the Skinker-DeBaliviere-Parkview Historic District, which was reported in the November issue of THE PAPER, is continuing. Since delineation of historic district boundaries currently depends upon approval of specific wordings for standards by these companies, the Community Development Agency has not yet received our proposed boundaries for work on maps and legal description. The statement of architectural, historical, and cultural significance is outlined and currently being written, with present focus on the area within the previously accepted boundaries (about which we know a great deal more). It is planned that the February issue of THE PAPER will contain the full proposal to be presented by Alderman Vincent C. Schoemehl, Jr. to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, for neighborhood information and comment, unless events necessitate earlier publication (perhaps THE PAPER’s first “extra”?).
HELP!
We need information that can only come from YOU! We are proud of our neighborhood, and we should be. But we have to develop some good oldfashioned snobbery for the “statement of architectural, historical and cultural significance” which goes with our proposal to become an historic district.
We need any information you can give us about:
1. Any person of local, state, national or international prominence who lived in your home in the past — of social, economic, political, academic, cultural, eccentric, or whatever significance. We need names and dates.
2. The architect (or architectural firm) who designed your home and any other information you have—deeds, blueprints, tax records, etc.
3. Any person of local, state, national or international prominence who now lives in our neighborhood. Maybe your neighbor or yourself. Some of the quietest people are widely-known experts in their own fields and we not know that about them.
4. Any significant historical event which happened in your home or somewhere you know about within the neighborhood; any special use of your home or any other building in the past (a school, fraternity house, original church congregation meeting place, etc.)
5. Any member of your family or family who grew up here and went on to fame and/or fortune elsewhere.
6. Any commercial establishment which started in the neighborhood and went on to fame and/or fortune (did you know that Helen Wolff, now of Clayton, was once in the 6100 and then the 6200 block of Delmar?).
7. Anything else of importance you think of that we’ve missed above— like famous streetcar lines, etc.
Talk to your friends, relatives, neighbors—the holiday season is great for that —write down some notes and CALL US: This is justifiable snobbery and we may end up impressing ourselves as well as others with the exciting part our neighhood. and residents have played in the past and right now. DO NOT TAKE FOR GRANTED THAT WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS NEIGHBORHOOD (Sue grew up in Pennsylvania, and Judy in Kirkwood). Whatever we can document, be the way, we’ll pass along in THE PAPER.
Remember the area we want information about—the Catlin Tract, Parkview, Rosedale, Washington Heights, both sides of Delmar from Melville to DeBaliviere, the apartment area north of Delmar to Olive, as well as the (now) industrial area west of the railroad tracks.
HELP!
Sue Tepas-862-3783 Judy Little-726-4522
Originally published in The Paper, December 1976.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Archival transcription note: Printed we not know and be the way retained.
Original source: SD_Times1976_12.pdf, printed page(s) 1, 8; PDF page(s) 1, 8.
