Written by Stuart Keating, Executive Director
While writing about the Title Guarantee Building, I ran across a reference to Landmarks having an office in the building. Around the same time, longtime member and volunteer Peter Wollenberg brought in this delightful needlepoint of 911 W Park made by Pat Baer, which was apparently our first office.
I asked Marci Snow-Perry, a library volunteer who is currently organizing our Landmarks Letters, to figure out how many offices we have had in our seven decades of existence. We are publishing her excellent research below.
True to our name, we have operated out of some Saint Louis landmarks — downtown standouts like the Railway Exchange Building, the Chemical Building and the Title Guaranty Building (demolished in 1983, presumably after we vacated the premises) — but also buildings of note in the Central West End, South City, and Soulard.
Needlepoint of original Landmarks office at 911 W Park
In the Central West End we were originally housed in the building that eventually became nationally recognized restaurant Balaban’s. Harlee Sorkin, recently infamous for demolishing one of the oldest houses in Kirkwood, was part of the ownership group that ran Balaban’s into the ground in the 2000s. [1] The building was then home to Herbie’s 72 (named after Herb and Adalaide Balaban’s restaurant down the street, Herbie’s), and is now home to arcade bar UpDown. [2]
Landmarks transitioned to working from home while we began work on our Soulard office, and our office manager insisted on a commercial address for the organization, so we had a temporary office in The Dickmann building on South Grand, which just celebrated its 100th anniversary.
We are now located in the Hesch House, a historic property in Soulard that we spent half a decade restoring. We have offices, a classroom, the Brambila Architectural Library, room to grow, and even office space we can rent out to allied organizations or businesses. After 65 years of wandering, we are peripatetic no more!
I have included Marci’s excellent research below.
History of Landmarks Office Locations
Research compiled by Marci Snow-Perry
- In 1959, the League of Women Voters carried the burden of mimeographing minutes and mailing notices for Landmarks during the first year of the organization. Landmarks was operating out of 911 Park Avenue as an unofficial office. [3]
- In 1960, in response to the complaint that the people of Landmarks were hard to find and that people were frustrated in their efforts to become members, it was suggested that the organization needed a telephone listing. At the Landmarks Meeting of October 27, 1959, Mrs. John Seddon suggested that the organization look into the possibility of renting a desk in office of the Central West End. [4] The board decided that the cost of a $15 answering service was too dear and elected to list Mrs. Seddon’s home phone number as the official contact listing until an affordable solution could be found. [5] By May of that year, the Landmark’s contact number had been changed to that of the President’s, Mr. Gerhardt Kramer. [6]
- In 1962, it is suggested by the outgoing President Gerhardt Kramer that the association should obtain an office space and consider appointing and paying an executive director. [7]
- In May 1963, Landmarks moved into its first office space at 411 N. Euclid in May 1963. They paid their landlord Mr. Eric Defty $33 dollars a month. [8]
- In 1965, Landmarks moved into an office space on the street level of the Warfield Shop at 387 North Euclid Ave., which they shared with the West End Development Association. [9]
- In 1971, Landmarks moved to 304a North Euclid Ave. where it continued to share office space and secretarial services with the Central West End Association. [10]
- The newly combined Heritage St. Louis and Landmarks of St. Louis moved to downtown in 1976. The new office was located at 611 Olive Street, Suite 2187 (Railway Exchange Building).
- In 1981, Landmarks moved to refurbished offices on the top floor of the Buder Title Guaranty Building at 706 Chestnut Street, room 1217. [11]
- In 1983, Landmarks relocated to the Chemical Building at 721 Olive Street when the Buder Title Guaranty Building was slated for demolition. [12]
- In May 1986, Landmarks moved to the 7th floor of the Design Center at 917 Locust Street. The Design Center was formerly known as the Scruggs Vandervoort Warehouse and was one of the many 25% ITC projects in downtown St. Louis. [13]
- On Feb 14, 2008, the Landmarks Board voted to pay for the relocation of the Landmarks office to the Lammert Building, 911 Washington Ave., Suite 107. [14]
- In 2019, Landmarks started working from home as they figured out the processes of renovating a donated building. [15]
- 2021 Landmarks moved to 3115 S. Grand Blvd., Suite 700 while working on the renovation of Landmarks’ new office and education complex in Soulard. Admin took place here run by Landmarks office manager, Susan Tschetter.
- In the fall of 2024, Landmarks moved into their new office space located at 1805 S. 9thStreet – The Hesch House.
[2] https://losttables.com/balabans/balabans.htm
[3] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks,“ March 1, 1959, (Minutes, Washington University Architectural School, March 1, 1960). 1.
[4] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks, October 27, 1959, (Minutes, Washington University Architectural School, Oct. 27, 1959). 2.
[5] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks,“ March. 1, 1960, (Minutes, Washington University Architectural School, March. 1, 1960), 1.
[6] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks,“ May 24, 1960, (Minutes, Washington University Architectural School, May. 24, 1960), 1.
[7] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Report of the President,” Annual Meeting April 1, 1962, 2.
[8] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks,” May 23, 1963, (Minutes, Landmarks Association Office, 411 N. Euclid, May 23, 1963). 1
[9] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks,” Aug. 16, 1965, (Minutes, Landmarks Association Office, 411 N. Euclid, Aug. 16, 1965). 1
[10] Jan. 1971, Volume 6, Number 1 “Looking at Landmarks,” Landmarks Letter, (Jan. 1971), 4.
[11] March1981, Volume 16, Number 2, Landmarks Letter, (March 1981), 1.
[12] January 1983, Volume 18, Number 1, Landmarks Letter, (Jan. 1983), 1.
[13] March/April 1986, Volume 21, Number 2, Landmarks Letter, (March/April 1986), 1.
[14] Landmarks Association of St. Louis, “Minutes of the Board of Directors of Landmarks, Feb. 14, 2008, (Minutes, Franklin School Apartments, 814 North 19th Street, Feb. 14, 2008),1.
[15] Winter 2019, Volume 52, Issue 4, Landmarks Letter, (Winter 2019), 9.
