Great Grandma’s Old Flat
This is a story about 1942-44 Hebert Street, which is located in the Old North St. Louis neighborhood of St. Louis, MO. Like many of its neighbors, this structure has seen better days. I became interested in the building because my great grandmother lived at this address in 1930.
My maternal grandfather’s family lived in the northern part of St. Louis during his childhood from 1915 to the early 1930s. He owned a home on Dryden Avenue in the 1950s, which is in much better condition than this building. He used to speak nostalgically about growing up in Walnut Park and living with his Uncles Jules. Unfortunately, Uncle Jules’ house on Thrush Avenue is now a vacant lot.
Photo of the front of 1942-44 Hebert Street from 2009 (Courtesy of Geo St. Louis)
The picture above is of 1942-44 Hebert Street today. The two-family flat was built in 1882 making it 131 years old. It is a testament to the standards of construction at the time that its roof is almost completely gone, the entire rear of the building has collapsed into the backyard, bricks are missing from some of the walls and it appears that the upper floors may have collapsed due to the rain coming in through the roof. Yet, the building still stands.
A “For Sale Sign” is visible on the 1944 entry board but it is probably pretty old. The Land Revitalization Authority, the St. Louis City delinquent property owner, took over the property in 1996. According to city records, it has been vacant since at least 1995. It was recently condemned in January 2013, which probably means a date with the wrecking ball is on tap within the next few months. The city will demolish 1942-44 Hebert Street with nary a whimper. Neighbors will probably celebrate that they don’t have to live with the eye sore any more. Old North St. Louis has been experiencing a revitalization. Residents are saving many of the buildings. If the 1942-44 Hebert Street could have remained intact a little longer, it could have been saved too.
Photo of the back of 1942-44 Hebert Street from 2009 (Courtesy of Geo St. Louis)
Unfortunately, short sighted urban planners thought it would be a great idea to let the older housing stock in the north section of the city rot, so it could be demolished and replaced with newer housing. The south section of the city is built over a series of caves, so the numerous sinkholes in the area made it difficult to build. The North side built up sooner, so the buildings tend to be older.
Naturally, the housing stock was older but little thought was given to its place in the history of the city or the superior construction of the time. 1942-44 Hebert Street is an eye sore now but in 1930 it was a haven for a widow with a young son, who wanted to be closer to her family. An all too familiar tale of a sad end to a once proud structure on the North Side.
