A Guide to the Architecture of St. Louis [Paperback]

George McCue (deceased) (Author), Frank Peters (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"An altogether fine, handsome, sturdy. . . .paperback makes both a deluxe traveler's companion and a handy resource on the distinguished buildings in and near the Gateway City."--Booklist

About the Author

George McCue is the retired art and urban design critic of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He is the author of three editions of The Building Art in St. Louis:  Two Centuries.  Frank Peters is the retired arts editor and architecture critic of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for Distinguished Criticism.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri; First Edition edition (June 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826206794
• ISBN-13: 978-0826206794
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 4.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,252,647 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good survey of the St. Louis area's architecture, January 2, 2000

By 

Robert Powers (Chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Guide to the Architecture of St. Louis (Paperback)

This is one of the best guidebooks for a city's architecture I've seen. The entries cover not only St. Louis proper but also the entire metro area, reaching far into the suburbs in both Missouri and Illinios. Every entry has at least one photograph, a rarity for such books. The maps are clear and concise; a regional map shows where each local map is located. Also includes a number of color photographs in the introduction pages. About the only thing I would fault the book for is skipping a few of downtown's historic towers; however, the book does an excellent job of directing city explorers to St. Louis's most interesting areas.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars De facto Standard, June 12, 2008

By 

Scott A. Choden (Chesterfield, MO United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Guide to the Architecture of St. Louis (Paperback)

This has been the reputed de facto standard for St. Louis architecture. As one who has such as an interest as a hobby, I am more than thrilled to learn from the information this book provided. My understanding is that a possible update may one day present itself...I hope so.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Somewhat dated, but still excellent, June 17, 2007

By 

Jon L. Albee "Faulkner Wannabe" (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: A Guide to the Architecture of St. Louis (Paperback)

This book, while becoming dangerously old and neglected, is a real treasure, much like the city it represents.

St. Louis is an architectural feast, much like many of our other rust-belt cities. Cleveland, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh also fall into this category. These cities retain much of their old classical buildings from a time when the idea of grand public architecture meant something to the eye and was a source of civic pride. St. Louis is a fine example of this idea, and a real treat for American urban architecture lovers, as this book amply illustrates.

The book itself is quite dated, published in 1989, but the authors do an excellent job of choosing the structures they know we will want to see. All the classics are here, with at least one photograph and a nice descriptive essay for each. St. Louis has, perhaps, the largest, most important collection of ecclesiastical architecture in the United States, and much of it is featured in the catalog.

The authors have taken the time to bring us many of the most interesting old structures from the surrounding towns as well. The book reaches everything from the settlements of Daniel Boone (and his family), to Cahokia, Illinois. These sites are important because they contain many examples of early creole and federal architecture which remind us of St. Louis' colonial and early American years. The authors have done an excellent job of including useful plans, graphics, maps and elevations to illustrate what the camera cannot reach. I particularly like the street elevations, a feature I have not seen duplicated since. It's extremely well done, and a new edition would be a real treat.