I wasn't going to say a word but I stumbled across a St Louis site today called "Ecology Of Absence," that had this message: Re-roofing the projects The St. Louis Housing Authority is remodeling the low-rise Clinton-Peabody housing project south of downtown. Part of this redesign includes the ludicrous addition of hipped roofs to the formerly flat-roofed buildings of the project. Some of the new roofs are in place, and the result is not pleasant. The buildings, once very modest and modern, now sport distracting hats. The point of the project eludes me. What do new roofs have to do with the lives of residents? If anything, they degrade the Clinton-Peabody project further through pure bad taste. My other question is concerning the hipped roofs: Are they supposed to emulate those on the City Hospital? I can't see any other connection with the surrounding Near South Side, on which the hipped roof is not unusually prevalent. -------------------------------------- I too had occasion to travel to St Louis last week on a genealogy expedition in search of truth and enlightenment that was not totally successful but some what revealing. For instance, I found another family residence had disappeared sometime in the last two years that had been located near Grand and Chouteau. This disappearance now leaves me with one final building where my family lived in St Louis from 1870 until today, July 19, 2005. The address of that building that is still standing is 1445 La Salle Lane. That final address is located smack dab in the middle of the Clinton Peabody Projects, and when it goes my whole St Louis family history goes. (One Hundred thirty five years of it.) The above message about the renovation is just not so. I was there last week and what I discovered was an apartment complex that was as modern looking as some of the higher class condominiums near where I live in the southwest, in fact their appearance would rival the appearance of the condominiums. Not many people remember that the Clinton Peabody Projects were built back in the very early 1940s for servicemen's families who were waiting for the return of their husbands and fathers who were away fighting in World War one. My father was away when my mother finally lucked out in 1945 and was able to move us into Clinton Peabody. Today there is no feeling of poverty in the area as there was in the 1940s and 1950s, somehow there is a feeling of spaciousness that I can not begin to explain. Truman Street still feels like Grattan Street, Chouteau still feels like Chouteau, Park doesn't feel like Park, Fourteenth doesn't feel like Fourteenth and City Hospital feels like Beirut, Lebanon. I even started wondering where all the ghosts moved to from the hospital. I even drove by Soulard Market and got caught in all the construction going on down there. My final thought as I drove away from the area was about a sinister presence that not everyone is aware of: I asked myself, What happened to all the roaches that we constantly sprayed for the whole time we lived in the projects from 1945 until 1960? Did they get that final crawler or is his descendants still running around there happily running to and fro annoying the present occupants?

From living in a condo (on the top floor) with a flat-topped roof, I can tell you there are terrible maintenance problems keeping the roofs draining water, instead of letting it pool. We finally replaced the roofs on the flat-roofed buildings with pitched roofs. Before the very expensive replacement, I can remember seeing rainwater pour out of a ceiling fan and being VERY glad it was not turned on at the time! Ruth Ann K transplanted St. Louisan on the Eastern Shore of Virginia -----Original Message----- From: JAMES O BRASHER <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, 19 Jul 2005 12:37:41 -0600 Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] What I Found In STL Last Week I wasn't going to say a word but I stumbled across a St Louis site today called "Ecology Of Absence," that had this message: Re-roofing the projects The St. Louis Housing Authority is remodeling the low-rise Clinton-Peabody housing project south of downtown. Part of this redesign includes the ludicrous addition of hipped roofs to the formerly flat-roofed buildings of the project. Some of the new roofs are in place, and the result is not pleasant. The buildings, once very modest and modern, now sport distracting hats. The point of the project eludes me. What do new roofs have to do with the lives of residents? If anything, they degrade the Clinton-Peabody project further through pure bad taste. My other question is concerning the hipped roofs: Are they supposed to emulate those on the City Hospital? I can't see any other connection with the surrounding Near South Side, on which the hipped roof is not unusually prevalent. -------------------------------------- I too had occasion to travel to St Louis last week on a genealogy expedition in search of truth and enlightenment that was not totally successful but some what revealing. For instance, I found another family residence had disappeared sometime in the last two years that had been located near Grand and Chouteau. This disappearance now leaves me with one final building where my family lived in St Louis from 1870 until today, July 19, 2005. The address of that building that is still standing is 1445 La Salle Lane. That final address is located smack dab in the middle of the Clinton Peabody Projects, and when it goes my whole St Louis family history goes. (One Hundred thirty five years of it.) The above message about the renovation is just not so. I was there last week and what I discovered was an apartment complex that was as modern looking as some of the higher class condominiums near where I live in the southwest, in fact their appearance would rival the appearance of the condominiums. Not many people remember that the Clinton Peabody Projects were built back in the very early 1940s for servicemen's families who were waiting for the return of their husbands and fathers who were away fighting in World War one. My father was away when my mother finally lucked out in 1945 and was able to move us into Clinton Peabody. Today there is no feeling of poverty in the area as there was in the 1940s and 1950s, somehow there is a feeling of spaciousness that I can not begin to explain. Truman Street still feels like Grattan Street, Chouteau still feels like Chouteau, Park doesn't feel like Park, Fourteenth doesn't feel like Fourteenth and City Hospital feels like Beirut, Lebanon. I even started wondering where all the ghosts moved to from the hospital. I even drove by Soulard Market and got caught in all the construction going on down there. My final thought as I drove away from the area was about a sinister presence that not everyone is aware of: I asked myself, What happened to all the roaches that we constantly sprayed for the whole time we lived in the projects from 1945 until 1960? Did they get that final crawler or is his descendants still running around there happily running to and fro annoying the present occupants? ==== MO-STLOUIS-METRO Mailing List ==== NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal messages, flames, etc.(in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen Burnett [email protected]

Jim, : hipped roofs replacing the flat is no doubt because flats retain water vs.leaking As to the roaches...they survived somewhere,as unlike their dinos. Lol. I relate to old homes no longer extant..I looked a few yrs.ago when I 1st visited & 1/2 at least where missing. The one at 3960 Chauteau was still there as a furniture shop. 4520 Manchester was being demolished, 3677 Olive boarded up,Hickory res.if I rememer was the beer plant. Vandeventer missing, 1200-1400 Nth 9th ect. :>)Nan ----- Original Message ----- From: "JAMES O BRASHER" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2005 1:37 PM Subject: [MO-STLOUIS-METRO] What I Found In STL Last Week > I wasn't going to say a word but I stumbled across a St Louis site today > called "Ecology Of Absence," that had this message: > > Re-roofing the projects > > The St. Louis Housing Authority is remodeling the low-rise Clinton-Peabody > housing project south of downtown. Part of this redesign includes the > ludicrous addition of hipped roofs to the formerly flat-roofed buildings > of the project. Some of the new roofs are in place, and the result is not > pleasant. The buildings, once very modest and modern, now sport > distracting hats. The point of the project eludes me. What do new roofs > have to do with the lives of residents? If anything, they degrade the > Clinton-Peabody project further through pure bad taste. > > My other question is concerning the hipped roofs: Are they supposed to > emulate those on the City Hospital? I can't see any other connection with > the surrounding Near South Side, on which the hipped roof is not unusually > prevalent. > -------------------------------------- > I too had occasion to travel to St Louis last week on a genealogy > expedition in search of truth and enlightenment that was not totally > successful but some what revealing. > > For instance, I found another family residence had disappeared sometime in > the last two years that had been located near Grand and Chouteau. This > disappearance now leaves me with one final building where my family lived > in St Louis from 1870 until today, July 19, 2005. The address of that > building that is still standing is 1445 La Salle Lane. > > That final address is located smack dab in the middle of the Clinton > Peabody Projects, and when it goes my whole St Louis family history goes. > (One Hundred thirty five years of it.) > > The above message about the renovation is just not so. I was there last > week and what I discovered was an apartment complex that was as modern > looking as some of the higher class condominiums near where I live in the > southwest, in fact their appearance would rival the appearance of the > condominiums. > > Not many people remember that the Clinton Peabody Projects were built back > in the very early 1940s for servicemen's families who were waiting for the > return of their husbands and fathers who were away fighting in World War > one. My father was away when my mother finally lucked out in 1945 and was > able to move us into Clinton Peabody. > > Today there is no feeling of poverty in the area as there was in the 1940s > and 1950s, somehow there is a feeling of spaciousness that I can not begin > to explain. Truman Street still feels like Grattan Street, Chouteau still > feels like Chouteau, Park doesn't feel like Park, Fourteenth doesn't feel > like Fourteenth and City Hospital feels like Beirut, Lebanon. I even > started wondering where all the ghosts moved to from the hospital. I even > drove by Soulard Market and got caught in all the construction going on > down there. > > My final thought as I drove away from the area was about a sinister > presence that not everyone is aware of: > I asked myself, What happened to all the roaches that we constantly > sprayed for the whole time we lived in the projects from 1945 until 1960? > Did they get that final crawler or is his descendants still running around > there happily running to and fro annoying the present occupants? > > > ==== MO-STLOUIS-METRO Mailing List ==== > NOTICE: Posting of virus warnings, test messages, chain letters, > political announcements, current events, items for sale, personal > messages, flames, etc.(in other words - spam) is NOT ALLOWED and will be > grounds for removal. Consideration for exceptions, contact Kathleen > Burnett [email protected] > >