Vision

Not Simply an Architectural Museum

Scholars recognize St. Louis as one of the nation’s key cities in the development of architectural materials, forms, and styles. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, St. Louis was a major manufacturing center for building materials. Manufacturers supplied both local and national markets and played a significant role in the construction of cities and towns during the westward expansion. The Center has a significant array of historic building facades, programs of ornament, and related artifacts representing the entire spectrum of materials, building types and designs. The collection includes historic residential, commercial, industrial, religious, institutional and civic buildings. Most of the collection is custom work designed for specific buildings by noted architects, engineers, and sculptors; the balance includes stock designs offered in catalogs. Work represents St. Louis, Chicago, New York and other major centers of national building culture.

Above Left: Entrance frieze, Indiana Limestone Randall Apartments, Lucas & Garrison Ave, St Louis, 1892-1974 Harry Randall Architect Entrance frieze, Indiana Limestone Randall Apartments, Lucas & Garrison Ave, St Louis, 1892-1974 Harry Randall Architect

Above Right: Lincoln Trust Building, terra cotta cornice recovery (1983)