151 West Argonne Drive - Downtown Kirkwood Historic District - Kirkwood, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 34.880 W 090° 24.495
15S E 725758 N 4273503
Plain Jane building is today a candy store
Waymark Code: WMZ4EM
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/08/2018
Views: 0
County of building: St. Louis County
Location of building: W. Argonne Dr., 3rd bldg. E. of Clay Ave., north side, Kirkwood
Built: 1890
Style: Commercial
Original Occupant: St. Louis National Insurance Comapny
Current Occupant: Sugar Shack
"151 W. Argonne. Commercial Building. ca. 1890. Architect, unknown. Contractor,
unknown. Contributing.
The 151 W. Argonne Commercial Building may have been built prior to 1878 since there is a
building on this property at that time, but it was more likely constructed around 1890 given its
stepped masonry parapet design and segmental arched windows. The earliest known tenant was
the St. Louis National Life Insurance Company in 1910, and is the closest building in the
foreground of the 1911 streetscape photograph. By 1917, the Kirkwood Monitor occupied the
building, remaining at least through 1928. In 1932 S. McDonald was running a shoe repair
company in the building but it was soon vacant. In 1949, J. Westrich opened a locksmith shop in
the location, remaining through the early 1950s. In 1954 an occupancy permit was issued to
Grant Kiersted for his residence and photo studio, but by 1958 the city directory listed Beerman
Photography Studios in the building. Today, it is the Sugar Shack." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"151 W. Argonne. Commercial Building. ca. 1890. Architect, unknown. Contractor,
unknown. Contributing.
The 151 W. Argonne Commercial Building is a two story white stucco building with entries on
either end of the façade and display windows in between. There are four windows on the second
floor façade. In a 1911 streetscape photo showing this building in the foreground, the building is
already coated, something more than just white paint since the brick texture is not visible, but a
later photo (ca. 1949), when the building is in obvious disrepair, shows that most of this coating
had worn off except where it had been protected on the piers by the old wooden canopy/balcony
that was removed, and most of the brick is exposed. Since then, it has been recoated, but the thicker stucco obscures the crisp edges of the projecting cornice. The display windows and
entries have been updated but retain the original configuration." ~ NRHP Nomination Form