For this momentous occasion, I'd like to share my own photos of the most visible block desecrated by Blairmont's negligent ownership: the north side of 1900 Wright Avenue. I've been avoiding it so far, since it's been covered by other bloggers, but I think this is a good time to tackle it.
- 1941 Wright Street (Sheridan Place LLC, October 2006)
August 2003
Our first victim is the little attached house on the right. Like pretty much the entire block, it was occupied when I first came through in 2003 with my camera. It's not in great shape, but look! That's a brand new fence out front. Somebody lived there, and cared enough to sink a couple thousand bucks into a new fence.
Then... came Blairmont. In October 2006, the house was purchased, the tenants evicted, the windows removed. Soon it was full of hazardous waste. By November 2007, the little house was utterly destroyed by brick rustlers.
December 2007
Oh, but it gets worse! In December of last year, the brick vandals returned, taking out the corner of the magnificent row of townhouses next door.
January 2008
This was the kiss of death for this privately owned building, and the whole row has now been demolished.
- More on Victim #1 (1941) at Ecology of Absence, including the story of how Blairmont allowed it to be used as a hazardous waste dumping ground.
- 1929 Wright Street (Sheridan Place LLC, November 2006)
August 2003
It's pretty much the same story: occupied originally, bought by Blairmont, vacated, destroyed by brick rustlers.
November 2007
- 1923 Wright Street (Sheridan Place LLC, November 2006)
Architecturally, it's the least remarkable building on the block, a backdrop for the more handsome buildings that lined the street. It is notable for being an alley house, an increasingly rare commodity in St. Louis.
August 2003
January 2008
It is now the last untouched building on the block.
- 1921 Wright Street
August 2003
November 2007
January 2008
Like the big townhouse row at the west end of the block, this one got hit in the last weeks of December 2007. Merry Christmas, St. Louis, from Blairmont!
Tomorrow: the south side of the same block.
- Links:
- More on the 1900 block of Wright at Ecology of Absence
- 1941 Wright at the City Assessor's database
- Aerial view from Maps.Live.com
- More on Blairmont:
Built St. Louis || Ecology of Absence || What Can I Do?
1 comment:
This is the site of the illegal eviction of the Navy vet, his family with small kids and the disabled lady in the upstairs apartment. He kept paying rent for 3 months after the sale and then was evicted without notice by having his utilities shut off in the dead of winter
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