Salvaged from the Palladium, a National Register for Historic Places eligible nightclub demolished by the VA in 2022, this majestic lion head downspout has been lovingly cleaned and restored by board president Jean Webb. Measuring 17″ x 15″ x 21″, this terra cotta lion head has overseen hundreds of thousands of roller skaters, thousands of hours of dance marathons, concerts by Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, mob dealings, police raids and some of the first integrated music audiences in Saint Louis history.
The Palladium opened in 1913 as a roller rink and began offering a live jazz band in 1926 as accompaniment for skating sessions. In 1929 Red Burnett’s jazz band became the first black jazz band to play at the Palladium, in hour 580 of a dance marathon. In 1933 Louis Armstrong played the Palladium and for the first time black audiences were allowed to attend concerts at the Palladium. In 1940 mob boss “Big Tony” Scarpelli bought the Palladium and re-opened “Club Plantation”, modeled off of Harlem’s Cotton Club. In 1944 Ella Fitzgerald played with Louis Russell’s band for three weeks, and in 1947 Big Tony turned the management of Club Plantation over to a group of black former employees, who continued to book music and bring in national talent. Hampered by police raids and difficult nightclub laws, the Palladium closed in 1949 and changed hands several times, becoming an appliance showroom in 1950 and a thrift store in 2000. The thrift store closed in 2013 and the Palladium was demolished as part of the VA expansion in 2022.
Landmarks fought tooth and nail to prevent the demolition of the Palladium and as part of our efforts many architectural elements were salvaged. Landmarks gained custody of six lion heads. In an effort to ensure the story of the Palladium remains in the public and to fund our continuing efforts to preserve, enhance and promote Saint Louis’ built environment, we are offering a chance to win this beautiful lion head.
This lion head could be repurposed into a fountain or water feature, take pride of place in a home renovation or landscape feature, or be a conversation piece in your office. This piece of Saint Louis cultural history is in excellent condition, has been stored inside since removal from the Palladium and has been cleaned and polished.
