On Memorial Day I took an afternoon bike ride around the South side of St. Louis. On this particular ride I found myself noticing stone walls, starting with this one on Oak Hill:
These ornamental but functional walls speak of a more glorious era of craftsmanship in the city. Unlike the generic retaining walls that tend to get built these days, stone walls give neighborhoods a sense of place and history.
Notice how the stone walls frame the entryway up to this stone house, also on Oak Hill:
This modest home on Ulena is given a touch of charm by the stone wall bordering its front lawn.
And the long expanse of stone wall on both sides of Macklind as it approaches Gresham frames the street beautifully and uniquely.
The city is full of these treasures which, though they may belong to individual homeowners, seem to emanate from a more public-spirited notion of how architecture can create community space and aesthetic pleasure for all to enjoy.
1 comment:
Lovely details. I've always coveted the stone walls at my neighbors' houses along the north side of Berthold east of Lawn; and I feel that SLUH's willingness to invest in restoring the brick wall along the north side of Berthold just west of Lawn represents its most nobly disinterested investment in our neighborhood.
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