Historical April–May 2008 article. Dates, prices, services and contacts describe the source period; current availability has not been established.
The Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood begins its centennial celebration with a house tour on Mother’s Day, May 11, 2008. Reviving our tradition of tours held between 1969 and 1981, eleven homes will be open from noon until 5:00 p.m. Tickets may be purchased in advance at $15 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under.
They may also be purchased on the day of the tour at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council office, 6008 Kingsbury at Des Peres Avenue, at $17 for adults and $12 for children.
Call Venita Lake at 314-727-7378 or Marj Weir at 314-863-7558 for further information, or check for updates at http://stlouis.missouri.org/skinkerdebaliviere/centennial/index.html. Ticket requests may also be sent to House Tour, Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council, 6008 Kingsbury, St. Louis, MO 63112. Make checks payable to The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere. Shuttle buses will travel the route throughout the afternoon and light refreshment will be sold at the Skinker-DeBaliviere Community Council office at Four Corners.
The homes selected reflect the variety of choices in the neighborhood – two and three story homes built in the first years after the closing of the 1904 World’s Fair, an apartment, a two-family building now converted to a single-family home, and one youngster – a nearly new four-yearold house.
Most of our houses retain their original brick exteriors, art glass windows, and elaborate woodwork, but like any structure nearing the century mark, they have seen numerous occupants and have had renovations, rehabilitation, and in some cases rescues and total transformations. Gone are the coal bins and furnaces and the iceboxes. (Remember Tootie riding the ice wagon in Meet Me in St. Louis?) Among other features, new windows, security systems, expanded electrical services, and cable or satellite dishes meet today’s needs.
We hope you will enjoy seeing how well our old ladies have stood up to time. See pages 3-6 of this issue for descriptions of the houses on tour and a history of the event. House Sitters for 2 hour shifts are still being recruited for the day of the House Tour.
Call Venita Lake at 727-7378 to sign up! Houses on Tour 5782 Waterman 5782 McPherson 5739 McPherson 5798 Pershing 5843 Waterman 5838 Waterman 6155 McPherson 6145 McPherson 6186 Kingsbury 6147 Westminster 6116 Westminster
Original photograph caption
Original Mother’s Day House Tour poster, May 11, 2008. Artist not credited.
Originally published in The Times of Skinker-DeBaliviere, April–May 2008.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times2008_04.pdf, printed page(s) 1; PDF page(s) 1.
