SOULARD AMBASSADORS' CLUB Walking Tour of Historic Soulard

The first market house, built in 1843, was destroyed by the tornado of 1896. Two sheds served as the market until 1928. The architect, A. Osburg, patterned the south entrance the new market after the Founding Hospital in Florence, one of the first masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance designed by Filipo Brunelleschi. Soulard Market is the best known landmark in the Soulard Historic District. People come from all over St. Louis to take advantage of the Market's low prices and fresh produce.

Trinity Lutheran Church and School, Founded by German emigrants in 1839, Trinity is the oldest established Lutheran Congregation west of the Mississippi. The original building was built in 1864 at its present location, but the tornado of 1896 destroyed a major portion of the Church. The congregation retained as much of the previous building as possible, while erecting a new edifice in the American Gothic Style. The ornate vestibule is part of the original 1864 structure.

1812 South 8th Street is thought to be one of the oldest houses in Soulard, This half-flounder house features wood lintels (upper part of the window or door frames) and a back entrance. The back entrance not only provided greater privacy, but also allowed additional windows along the street for more light and increased ventilation. 

A good example of a custom built Victorian townhouse, set back from the street on a generous size lot. The home once belonged to Philip W. Schneider, also known as "Granite Schneider", a city contractor who first brought attention to the excellent quality of Missouri granite. Schneider supplied granite for Eads Bridge, City Hall, the Old Post Office, and many other large buildings in Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee. His granite quarry became what is now known as Elephant State Park in SE Missouri.

1833 South 8th Street was St. Elizabeth Settlement and Day Care Center, this structure which retains its original ironwork was built as a private mansion and then given as a settlement house for German immigrants. The home has been restored to a beautiful single family residence. The first electric light in Soulard was turned on in this home. 

The northern wall of this building was used as a painted billboard. The ad was for a bank that went out of business during the depression! The copy is located quite low to the ground, as at that time, billboards were designed to be read by a person walking down the street.  

Originally built as a flounder style house, the Victorian style front was added later, in 1880. One can judge the age of this structure by the lintels and the brick on the north side of the building. The stone lintels on the original structure were commonly used prior to the Civil War; the brick arches over the windows on the front addition represent post Civil War style architecture. Also, you will notice the brick on the original house is rough where the brick on the addition is smooth. 

Henry Soulard, son of Antoine Soulard, sold this lot in 1849. This single family dwelling was built around 1850. The house is a good example of Creole influence featuring a two story gallery porch running the width of the house. A special feature of this house is the 6 over 6 windows. This window style was very popular at the time of the Civil War; and it is unique to see the original windows intact. These windows were probably preserved with the protection from the two story porch. 

Construction in Soulard spanned several waves of architectural influences; many buildings illustrate transitional features. This building is an example of the Federal style adapted to a working class structure. The clean pattern of Federal design is exemplified in the strict brick dental work along the roofline and the basic shape of the structure. 

Built in 1871 as the Union Capitol Hall, this structure first served as a social hall for many years. From the late 1800's to the early 1900's the hall was owned by the "Bohemian Gymnastic Association, Sokol". In 1929 the structure became the home of the "Orange Smile Syrup Company" and was used to make soda into the late 1950's. The building sat derelict for many years until it was recently transformed into loft apartments. 

Saints Peter and Paul Church and School is a classic example of Gothic Revival architecture. The parish began in 1849 with only two small frame buildings at Seventh and Allen; a one story residence on Geyer served as a temporary school. In 1853 a brick church was constructed and in 1859 construction was started on the Sister's School. The current structure was erected in 1875 and seats 3,000 people. 1391 children once attended the thriving school. The school now serves as loft apartments. 

This long row of Victorian townhouses was originally built specifically for apartments in the 1890's. These structures replaced what used to be a beer garden operated by the Russell and Allen families. Although no longer there, their mansion was located up on the hill behind these buildings. 

The Menard Triplets are 3 homes built over a 25 year span but look identical in many respects. They all three feature six regularly spaced, segmented arch windows on the facade and one segmented arch window on the third floor dormer. Their striking resemblance demonstrates the care of early Soulard builders in preserving the streetscape's integrity. 

This 1869 home represents a typical flounder house. One theory of the origin of this style is that it was a way of reducing property taxes. As it is just half of a house, only half of the usual tax was levied. Another explanation was that the style originated because rainwater could be directed to one side of the house and down one downspout to a cistern or rain barrel. This was used to meet everyday water needs, as many houses in Soulard were constructed before municipal water supply systems. 

This row of apartments is an example of the modern construction in Soulard. A lot of care was taken in the designing of these buildings to ensure that they blend in naturally with the century old structures surrounding them. For example, red mortar was used between the bricks to avoid the crisp fresh look of the white mortar generally used on a new building. The Federal style was chosen because it is a simple style and relatively easy to replicate. 

2322 South 12th Street is Victorian style, shown by the tower and iron finials around the roof. Granz Arzt, a doctor, was the builder of this house. He was fascinated by the natural caves that exist below Soulard, and constructed artificial caves beneath his house! His doctor's office was behind the house, on Lami, and there is an underground tunnel leading from the house to the office. 

2222 South 12th Street illustrates an ornate French Second Empire facade. The unusual limestone front was considered very rich in its day. Generally, the house would have been painted in several colors to highlight the detail in the stone and woodwork. The Victorian influence can be seen in the double French doors and iron fence surrounding the house. Anton Laux, a German butcher who retired as president of the Laux Packing Company built this home in 1886. 

The Foster Mansion was originally built as a single family dwelling. Not only is it the largest single family home in Soulard, but it has the distinction of sitting on the largest lot to hold a single family dwelling. The structure is a Romanesque style with some Queen Ann attributes. The iron fence around this home was imported from Europe.

2346 South 13th Street is a Romanesque Victorian style house. This house was once the servants' quarters for the gigantic mansion that stood next door. The lot on which the former mansion stood is marked by the stone pillars that front on 13th and go back to the alley. The building has been replaced by a series of six apartment houses. 2346 is one of the two remaining vestiges of that mansion. The original carriage house and stables are located behind the present apartments. 

One of the oldest buildings in the area. The size of the beams in the basement indicates that some parts of the house were constructed before the Civil War, according to architectural historians. The limestone construction extending on the sides up to the second floor implies that the structure was transformed at one point, possibly from a farm outbuilding. The present building, with its ornate facade and cast iron balcony, is indicative of Victorian building themes prevalent in the 1870's. 

Original site of the Green Tree Brewery. Below the ground remains a large man-made cave complex connecting with the natural cave system which was once used to store beer for the brewery. Before electric refrigeration was invented, the breweries in Soulard would take large blocks of ice from the river in the winter and store it in the caves to keep the beer chilled in the summer. The entrances to these tunnels have been blocked off for safety reasons, but the tunnels are all still there. 

This structure was the hospitality saloon for Green Tree Brewery. It is the only remaining building of a once thriving brewery that was located across the street to the east.

[Cottage note: Stop inside for some local history on Samuel Adams "Boston" Lager!]

The Max Feverbacher Mansion, also known as "the lion house," was built in 1872. Feverbacher was the owner of the Green Tree Brewery which was located at 9th and Sidney. The Cupola on the roof provides a beautiful view of the Mississippi River. According to family legend, it is a scaled down version of a mansion that Feverbacher saw in his native Germany. 

Home of the world's largest brewer, this historic brewery covers 70 city blocks. It is listed in the National Historic Register and its Victorian architecture blends beautifully with the surrounding neighborhood; the Historic buildings are still in use, including the beautiful stables - home to the brewery's trademark Clydesdales. The Visitor's Center is located at 13th and Pestalozzi.