Earlier this year, I happened upon the drone video work of Jimmy Wolfe aka Empty Midwest on Youtube. In his now 22 part series on abandoned STL structures, Jimmy has documented many of STL’s most endangered architectural treasures from above, revealing the damage and decay invisible from the curb. Prominent among the dozens of structures documented are many of STLs grand former public school buildings, photographed from myriad angles, in varying states of disrepair.
All told, Empty Midwest’s videos contain 26 former public school buildings, including 18 of the 19 buildings/campuses currently listed as for sale or under contract through SLPS’s Building Revitalization Collaborative – Surplus Properties site (some of which have in reality already changed hands.) Alongside those listed for sale, SLPS’s site lists 21 buildings as “Success Stories” – or buildings sold that have gone on to some other purpose– usually as residential apartment buildings. But even collectively, these 47 are nowhere near the whole story of former public school buildings in STL city. By my count, setting aside the many great buildings that have been demolished over the years, and not counting the 60 SLPS structures currently in use, there are currently 70 former public school buildings left standing in STL. These include–
36 Inactive properties
- 15 Listed for sale
- 7 In some stage of development
- 7 Closed but not listed for sale
- 7 Sold but their status is unclear or they are endangered
34 Active Properties
- 21 That have been developed into residences
- 8 That have active non-residential uses, and
- 5 That have become charter schools
15 Buildings For Sale

That these 15 buildings are actively for sale does not make them any less endangered. While they are still owned by STL’s under-resourced Board of Education, most suffer from neglect that has opened portions of their roofs and exposed them to the elements, and many have been the victim of vandalism. With eerie precision, their condition can often be predicted by the number of years they’ve sat unused . However, even among the worst cases, they all still remain standing, ready for rehabilitation or in some cases simply reuse.
This is nowhere more true than in the Ville and Greater Ville neighborhoods collectively a 10 x 15 block portion of North St. Louis where 6 of the 15 reside. In addition to being part of the Ville’s local historic district- a surviving architectural legacy with 14 sites on the National Register (including 2 of these schools)-most of the Ville set appear to be at a pivotal stage in need of intervention, with roofs showing gaps and holes even where from the street the facades and windows give the appearance of being maintained.
Cleveland School
4352 Louisiana Avenue
Neighborhood: Dutchtown
Historic Status: NRHP District – Dutchtown
Year Constructed: 1915
Year Closed: 2006
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $2,352,850
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Cote Brilliante School
2616 Cora Ave
Neighborhood: The Greater Ville
Historic Status: Local Historic District -The Ville
Year Constructed: 1904
Year Closed: 2007
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $517,120
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Cupples School
4908 Cote Brilliante Ave.
Neighborhood: Kingsway East
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1918 (Milligan)
Year Closed: 2003
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $416,000
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Euclid School
1131 N. Euclid Ave.
Neighborhood: Fountain Park
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1893
Year Closed: 2007
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $214,542
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Farragut School
4025 Sullivan Avenue
Neighborhood: The Greater Ville
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1905
Year Closed: 2021
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $982,185
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Ford School
1383 Clara Avenue
Neighborhood: Hamilton Heights
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1968
Year Closed: 2021
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $988,200
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Gundlach School
2931 Arlington Ave.
Neighborhood: Wells-Goodfellow
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1931
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $347,895
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Hempstead School
5872 Minerva Ave.
Neighborhood: Hamilton Heights
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1907
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $110,000
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Marshall School/
Marshall Branch
4342 & 4340 Aldine Avenue
Neighborhood: The Ville
Historic Status: NHRP Status
Year Constructed: 1900 & 1953
Year Closed: 2003
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $424,324
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Scullin School
4160 N. Kingshighway
Neighborhood: Penrose
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1928
Year Closed: 2002
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $324,700
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Stowe School
5750 Lotus Avenue
Neighborhood: Wells-Goodfellow
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1967
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $450,000
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Turner Branch
4215 Kennerly Avenue
Neighborhood: The Ville
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1925
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $155,045
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Turner School
2615 Billups Avenue
Neighborhood: The Ville
Historic Status: Local Historic District – The Ville
Year Constructed: 1940
Year Closed: 2010
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $497,680
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Walnut Park School
5814 Thekla Ave
Neighborhood: Walnut Park East
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1908
Year Closed: 2003
Owner: Board of Education
List Price: $460,000
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Williams School
3955 St. Ferdinand Avenue
Neighborhood: The Greater Ville
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1964
Year Closed: 2008
Owner: BETHEL CHRISTIAN ASSEMBLY FAITH FELLOWSHIP INC
List Price: $995,000
Image: Hillikercorp.com
An outlier among these is Williams School, not only because it is the only postwar building of the Ville/Greater Ville cohort, but because it isn’t currently owned by the Board of Education. SLPS lists the building among its “success stories” having been sold to Bethel Christian Assembly in 2017 with the intention of using it as a community center. However, it seems the community center struggled to open, judging by an unissued occupancy permit application in the city’s records, a subsequent repair of the roof, and relisting of the property through a commercial property broker.
This appears to be a scenario SLPS seeks to avoid. According to the listings site, offers on former school buildings owned by the BOE must include “a redevelopment plan that demonstrates both positive community impact and the potential buyer’s capacity to complete the project as described in a timely fashion and operate it on an ongoing and self-sustaining basis.” Pursuant of this outcome, contracts on former school buildings can contain a buy back clause that SLPS’s can choose to invoke. For whatever reason, Williams – like a handful of others – seems to have fallen through the cracks of the process.
7 Buildings in Development

Admittedly, any list of the status of buildings in use is necessarily a snapshot in time. While Williams School is now back up for sale on an open market, making its future an unknown, until recently it would have been considered to be in-development or in the process of opening as a community center.
Another former school, Ford Branch in Hamilton Heights, near the larger Ford School (currently for sale), was also purchased by a church with intentions to create a community center. That community center, the Friendly Temple Learning Center, was in operation beginning in 2016 but has since closed. Recently, however, Friendly Temple has announced its plans to turn the property into a charter school- Friendly Temple Academy.
Eliot School was also sold to a church group, Jubilee Community Church, who has plans to turn the 19th century school in the Fairground neighborhood into a behavioral health and rehabilitation center. Another 19th century school, Rock Spring School in FPSE is undergoing development into office spaces.
The remaining buildings in development — Fanning, Baden, Banneker, and Simmons– are all planned to become apartments. Of these, Baden, Banneker, and Simmons developers have already closed on the properties and Baden‘s developer Lutheran Development Group, Simmons‘ developer Fleur De Lis Development Corp, and Banneker’s developer Moonlight Partners (who also developed Shepard School), all have active tax credit applications or approvals through MHDC.
Readers will likely be aware of the high-profile battle regarding the fate of Fanning. Developer Screaming Eagle won a zoning variance of the building which was subsequently overturned through the courts on behalf of nearby residents. Fanning is still owned by the BOE, and time may have run out for Screaming Eagle, though the City lists a BOE-submitted zoning-only permit as recent as August 2024. For now, due in large part to their developers’ clearly stated intentions, these seven make the cut.
Baden School
8724 Halls Ferry Rd.
Neighborhood: Baden
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1908
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: LUTHERAN DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC
Planned Use: Apartments
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Banneker School
2840 Samuel Shepard Dr
Neighborhood: Midtown
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1940
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: MOONLIGHT PARTNERS LLC
Planned Use: Apartments
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Eliot School
4242 Grove St.
Neighborhood: Fairground
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1898
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: JUBILEE COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT CORP
Planned Use: Community Center
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Fanning School
3417 Grace Ave
Neighborhood: Tower Grove South
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1906
Year Closed: 2021
Owner: Board of Education
Planned Use: Apartments
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Ford Branch
5599 Ridge Avenue
Neighborhood: Hamilton Heights
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1958
Year Closed: 2010
Owner: FRIENDLY TEMPLE MBC
Planned Use: Charter School
Image Google Streetview 2022

Rock Spring School
3974 Sarpy Ave
Neighborhood: Forest Park Southeast
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1898
Year Closed: 1990s
Owner: ROCK SPRING SCHOOL LLC
Planned Use: Office Space
Image Google Streetview 2022

Simmons School
4318 St. Louis Avenue
Neighborhood: The Ville
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1898
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: SIMMONS SQUARED LLC
Planned Use: Senior Apartments
Image Google Streetview 2022
7 Buildings Unclear or Endangered

But, not all intentions are so clear. For those sold former schools where there is no available plan, where there was a plan but a great deal of time has passed, or where neglect or even demolition threaten the building, they end up here on the “unclear” to “endangered” spectrum.
Of these, the newest and most perplexing is Dunbar School. The school was slated to close just a few years ago, appeared to have been saved from closure, but then appears to have closed anyway. Most confusing is that per city records, the school is now owned by a “5 Talents Business Group Inc” who appear to have also purchased the entirety of the vacant parcels on the block enclosed by the school grounds. What plans they may have for the building and the site have not yet been made public.
Ashland Branch school was sold in 2020, and per city data it appears an apartment conversion and a daycare conversion was attempted before the property changed hands again, or at least ownership changed names. The Ashland Branch address does appear in SLDC’s Operational Expansion Grant (pending) award list set to receive $50,000 for a “Kolors Learning Center #1” which is a daycare on Whittier. Perhaps it will be a daycare after all?
Emerson Branch, a smallish school building in the Academy neighborhood used by SLPS as offices into the 90s now has little left of its roof and a tree growing inside. The building was on the LRA’s rolls, but very recently was purchased by “A Heart Full of Love In Home Health Care LLC”. Harrison School closed in 2003 and sold in 2007, the developer won Low Income Housing Tax Credits for the project in 2008, but the conversion was never completed. Scruggs school was sold to the “Universal Buddhist Congregation” in 2012 for use as a temple and community center. Today it appears abandoned with boards over windows and doors. Perhaps the longest vacant school on this list, Carr School, closed in 1983 and the owner Carr Square Tenant Group attempted to convert the building to apartments for many years to no avail. It remains standing in the Carr Square neighborhood in defiance of the odds.
Remaining is Yeatman High School which became Central VPA High in the 80s and then was closed when Central VPA moved to its new location in the Southwest Gardens neighborhood. The massive Yeatman High campus in Jeff-Vander-Lou is now owned by HT Holdings LLC. Per City records, a permit to “Wreck Multi-Story Commercial Brick Building” at its address was submitted in March of 2023 “C/O Tim Hightower.” The applicant appears to be involved with a St. Louis company Deconstruction Development Partners, which deconstructs buildings and donates building materials in return for tax write-offs for its clients. Interestingly the building’s status on the Nation Register of Historic Places within a National Historic District–itself within a preservation review district–did not deter the applicant.

Ashland Branch
4415 Margaretta Ave
Neighborhood: Penrose
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1909
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: LUXURY REAL ESTATE LLC
Planned Use: Originally Apartments per SLPS–Now possible daycare per permits
Image Google Streetview 2022
Carr School
1421 Carr St
Neighborhood: Carr Square
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1908
Year Closed: 1983
Owner: CARR SQUARE TENANT CORP
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Central VPA/
Yeatman School
3616 N. Garrison
Neighborhood: Jeff-Vander-Lou
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1903
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: HT HOLDINGS LLC
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Dunbar School
1415 N Garrison
Neighborhood: Jeff-Vander-Lou
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1912
Year Closed: 2022/2023
Owner: 5 TALENTS BUSINESS GROUP INC
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Emerson Branch
5234 Wells Ave
Neighborhood: Academy
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1928
Year Closed: 1995
Owner: A HEART FULL OF LOVE IN HOME HEALTH CARE LLC
Planned Use: Possible Home Health facility in progress (building purchased from LRA July 2024 – no active permits)
Image Google Streetview 2022
Harrison School
4224 Fair Ave
Neighborhood: O’Fallon
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1895
Year Closed: 1995
Owner: HARRISON SCHOOL LLC
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Scruggs School
4611 South Grand Boulevard
Neighborhood: Dutchtown
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1919
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: UNIVERSAL BUDDHIST CONGREGATION
Originally sold for use as Buddhist Temple/Community Center – Appears abandoned
Image Google Streetview 2022
7 Buildings Closed But Not Listed For Sale

The 29 former schools above still do not account for all inactive former school buildings in St. Louis. Seven remain that are closed, and owned by the Board of Education, but not listed for sale.
Of these, Northwest High School was — up until as recently as 2022 — SLPS’s Northwest Academy of Law, and it appears it briefly housed a charter school “Big Picture School @ Northwest,” though it appears both have since closed.
The other six, having been closed for many years, are harder to account for without knowing SLPS’s intentions directly. Many appear in good enough condition to use as storage perhaps. It’s unlikely SLPS needs more administrative space as they appear to be trying to sell their Downtown administration building and contract to lease part of the space. The district is still shrinking, and it’s far more likely that more schools will close soon; a recent study suggests about half of the district’s occupied schools will need major repairs in the next 10 years. These few may represent a strategy of flexibility if other schools must close, or they may end up on the market as well.
DeAndreis / Bunche School
4257 Clarence Ave
Neighborhood: O’Fallon
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1925
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Gallaudet School
1616 S Grand Blvd
Neighborhood: The Gate
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1925
Year Closed: 2010
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Image Google Streetview 2022
Jackson School
1632 Hogan Street
Neighborhood: St. Louis Place
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1899
Year Closed: 2003
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Langston School
5511 Wabada Ave
Neighborhood: Wells-Goodfellow
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1964
Year Closed: 2017
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest
Mark Twain School
5316 Ruskin Avenue
Neighborhood: Mark Twain
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1912
Year Closed: 2009
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Footage courtesy Empty Midwest

Meda P Washington School
2030 S Vandeventer Ave
Neighborhood: Southwest Garden
Historic Status: NRHP District – Shaw’s Garden
Year Constructed: 1929
Year Closed: 2007
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Image Google Streetview 2022

Northwest School
5140 Riverview Blvd
Neighborhood: Walnut Park
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1960
Year Closed: 2022
Owner: Board of Education
Closed but not listed for sale
Image Google Streetview 2022
21 Buildings Now Residences

It’s no coincidence that all 21 of the former public school buildings that are now residences are either on the National Register of Historic Places, in a National Register Historic District, or in a Certified Local Historic District. That’s because these designations come with access to state and federal tax credits which can cover much of the cost to renovate. Such that, if the building isn’t already on the National Register, establishing an historic designation becomes part of the development plan.
Together, State and Federal Historic tax credits alone can cover nearly half the qualifying costs to rehabilitate one of these buildings. Developers may also pursue competitive State and Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) if they intend to include a certain number of affordable or low-income units in the building, as many of these buildings now do. Additionally, some may pursue tax increment financing (TIF), local tax abatement, or other local incentives. Altogether, these resources can cover around three-quarters of the cost to convert or more.
Among apartments on this list buildings, a few are specifically senior apartments. One, Garfield Place Apartments, is supportive housing serving those facing homelessness and/or behavioral and mental health issues. But, not all residential conversions become apartments. Two in this list — Delaney School and Lindenwood School — are buildings with separately owned condominium units.

Arlington School/
Arlington Grove Apartments
1617 Burd Avenue
Neighborhood: Wells-Goodfellow
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1881
Year Closed: 1993
Apartments Opened: 2012
Owner: ST LOUIS HOUSING AUTHORITY DEV CORP
Image SLPS Success Stories

Blewett School/
SOHO Lofts
800 Arlington Ave
Neighborhood: Visitation Park
Historic Status: Certified Local District Visitation Park
Year Constructed: 1905
Year Closed: 1994
Apartments Opened: 2007
Owner: SOLOFTS LLC
Image Trulia.com

Clark School/
Clark School Lofts
1020 N. Union Blvd.
Neighborhood: Academy
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1907
Year Closed: 2009
Apartments Opened: 2019
Owner: CLARKUNION LLC
Image https://www.clarkschoollofts.com/

Delaney School/
Delaney School Condominiums
6134 Virginia
Neighborhood: Carondelet
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1911
Year Closed: 1981
Condominiums Opened: 2004
12 Units Owned Individually
Image Apartments.com

Field School /
Capstone Apartments
4466 Olive Street
Neighborhood: Central West End
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1901
Year Closed: 1995
Apartments Opened: 2006
Owner: 4466 OLIVE LLC
Image SLPS Success Stories

Frank P Blair School/
Archway Commons
2707 Rauschenbach Ave
Neighborhood: St. Louis Place
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1881
Year Closed: 1981
Apartments Opened: 1998
Owner: NEW BLAIR SCHOOL LP
Image Trulia.com

Franklin School /
Franklin School Apartments
814 N. 19th Street
Neighborhood: Downtown West
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1911
Year Closed: 1995
Apartments Opened: 2007
Owner: FRANKLIN PARTNERS LP
Image Apartments.com

Fremont School/
St. Agnes Apartments
2840 Wisconsin
Neighborhood: Benton Park
Historic Status: NRHP District – Benton Park
Year Constructed: 1896
Year Closed: 1981
Apartments Opened: 1995
Owner: ST AGNES APARTMENTS INC
Image Trulia.com

Garfield School/
Garfield Place Apartments
2612 Wyoming
Neighborhood: Benton Park West
Historic Status: NRHP District – Gravois Jefferson Streetcar Suburb
Year Constructed: 1936
Year Closed: 2003
Apartments Opened: 2014
Owner: GARFIELD PLACE PARTNERS LP
Image Google Streetview 2016

Grant School/
Grant School Apartments
3009 Pennsylvania Ave
Neighborhood: Tower Grove East
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1893
Year Closed: 1983
Apartments Opened: 2005
Owner: GRANT SCHOOL APARTMENT INVESTORS LLC
Image lowincomehousing.us

Gratiot School/
Gratiot School Apartments
1615 Hampton Ave.
Neighborhood: Clayton-Tamm
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1882
Year Closed: 2013
Apartments Opened: 2017
Owner: GRATIOT SCHOOL LLC
Image Google Street View 2021


Irving School/
Irving School Apartments
3829 N 25th St
Neighborhood: Hyde Park
Historic Status: Certified Local District – Hyde Park
Year Constructed: 1871
Year Closed: 1994
Apartments Opened: 2008
Owner: IRVING SCHOOL LP
Image Apartments.com

Lafayette School/
Lafayette Lofts
815 Ann Ave.
Neighborhood: Soulard
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1907
Year Closed: 2004
Apartments Opened: 2017
Owner: 815 ANN AHM LLC
Image Apartments.com

Lindenwood School/
Lindenwood School Condominiums
3815 McCausland
Neighborhood: Lindenwood Park
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1928
Year Closed: 2003
Condominiums Opened: 2009
20 Units Owned Individually
Image 4salestlouis.com

Lyon School/
Lyon Apartments
7417 Vermont
Neighborhood: Patch
Historic Status: NRHP District – Central Carondelet
Year Constructed: 1910
Year Closed: 2010
Apartments Opened: 2020
Owner: LYON APARTMENTS LLC
Image Lyonstl.com

Mt Pleasant School/
Mt Pleasant School Apartments
4528 Nebraska Ave
Neighborhood: Mt Pleasant
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1896
Year Closed: 1980
Apartments Opened: 2010
Owner: DPB 2615 WASH LLC & 3119 MORGANFORD TWO LLC & ETAL
Image Apartments.com

Shepard School/
Shepard School Lofts
3450 Wisconsin Ave.
Neighborhood: Marine Villa
Historic Status: NRHP District – Benton Park
Year Constructed: 1906
Year Closed: 2009
Apartments Opened: 2021
Owner: MOONLIGHT PARTNERS LLC
Image Apartments.com

Sherman School/
Sherman Lofts
3942 Flad
Neighborhood: Shaw
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1898
Year Closed: 2013
Apartments Opened: 2018
Owner: STL CRE INVESTMENT LLC
Image Zillow.com

Webster School
2127 N. 11th Street
Neighborhood: Old North St. Louis
Historic Status: NRHP District Murphy-Blair
Year Constructed: 1907
Year Closed: 2007
Apartments Opened: 2022
Owner: WEBSTER SCHOOL SENIOR APARTMENTS LP
Image Google Streetview 2022

Wilkinson School/
Wilkinson Lofts
7202 Arsenal
Neighborhood: Ellendale
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1927
Year Closed: 2008
Apartments Opened: 2022
Owner: 7212 ARSENAL LLC
Image Zillow.com
8 Buildings With Non-Residential Uses

Not all active former school buildings have gone on to become residences. The eight in this category have taken on a number of uses. Among them, two are community centers. The former Emerson School in Hamilton Heights is now and has long been the Better Family Life Center. The other, the former Mark Twain Branch School, is now a faith-based community center and part of the adjacent North City Church of Christ. The church occupies the former parish campus of the St. Philip Neri Catholic Church. The building in question, across from Mark Twain School, was originally a catholic school, and then a public school when the parish closed. Of course, there are many closed parish campuses, or unutilized school buildings within those campuses, and more infamously — numerous abandoned catholic churches in STL — perhaps a subject for a separate inventory.

Buildings on the non-residential list contain some of the oldest still in use, including the Old Lyon School (1868), Carondelet School (1871), and Des Peres School (1873). Compton and Dry’s Pictorial St. Louis lists 58 public school buildings as of 1875 (right). Many of the names on this list will look familiar, as in many cases these buildings were demolished in the early 20th century to make way for larger, more modern schools of the same name or on the same lot, which make up the bulk of the 70 inventoried here. The newer schools are mostly the legacy of architects August Kirchner, William Ittner, Rockwell Milligan, and George Sanger who designed the district’s buildings between 1896 and 1939 when St. Louis’ population was growing fast, and the number of public schools ballooned to over 150.
All of the pre-1875 cohort are on the non-residential list save Irving School in Hyde Park which is the Irving School Apartments. Des Peres School and Old Lyon School are both museums. Des Peres is the home of the Carondelet Historical Society, and Old Lyon School was bought by Anheuser Busch in 1907 and integrated into their campus as an administration building. It is now a museum that holds brewery artifacts. Carondelet School, in the Patch Neighborhood, is now offices.
The two postwar buildings on this list, Cook School and Windsor School, are both office/commercial buildings. The remaining Clifton Heights School, a 19th century building with a postwar entrance addition, is the home of a trade union.

Carondelet School/
Offices
8221 Minnesota
Neighborhood: Patch
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1871
Year Closed: 1975
Owner: THE GO! MACHINE LLC
Use: Offices
Image Google Streetview 2022

Clifton Heights School/ Service Employees International Union
2725 Clifton Ave
Neighborhood: Clifton Heights
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1897
Year Closed: 1950s
Owner: SERVICE EMPLOYEES CENTER BLDG CORP
Use: Union Offices
Image Google Streetview 2019

Cook School/
Offices
5935 Horton Place
Neighborhood: West End
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1964
Year Closed: 2004
Owner: COOK SCHOOL LLC
Use: Offices (possible future residential)
Image Google Streetview 2021

Des Peres School/ Carondelet Historial Society
6303 Michigan Ave
Neighborhood: Carondelet
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1873
Year Closed: 1935
Owner: CARONDELET HISTORICAL SOC
Use: Museum
Image Google Streetview 2022

Emerson School/
Better Family Life Center
5415 Page
Neighborhood: Hamilton Heights
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1901
Year Closed: 2000
Owner: BETTER FAMILY LIFE INC
Use: Community Center
Image Google Streetview 2021

Mark Twain Branch/ North City Church of Christ
5036 Thekla
Neighborhood: Mark Twain
Historic Status: None
Year Constructed: 1920 (Catholic School)
Became Public School: 1973
Owner: NORTH CITY CHURCH OF
CHRIST INC
Use: Church/Community Center
Image Google Streetview 2021

Old Lyon School/ Anheuser Busch Museum
721 Pestalozzi
Neighborhood: Soulard
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1868
Year Closed: 1907
Owner: AB PP HOLDINGS FOR BUSCH PLACE C/O CORP TAX DEPT
Use: Museum
Image St. Louis Post Dispatch

Windsor School/ Office-Warehouse
4092 Robert Avenue
Neighborhood: Boulevard Heights
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1952
Year Closed: 1983
Owner: SAA PROPERTIES LLC
Use: Commercial Warehouse
Image Google Streetview 2022
5 Buildings Now Charter Schools

As public schools were closing rapidly in the 2000s, SLPS fought to keep the buildings out of the hands of charter schools as a means of self-preservation –even going so far as to institute a short-lived 100 year deed restriction policy against using former public school buildings as charters.
The notable exception is KIPP schools, active in STL since 2009, who occupy four of the five schools on this list. The former Clinton School in Peabody-Darst-Webb is KIPP Wisdom, Lowell in Carr Square is KIPP Triumph, Mitchell in the West End is KIPP Victory, and Pruitt School in Carr Square is KIPP Inspire. Together these constitute all the KIPP: St. Louis Schools save for KIPP High School located in Downtown West. Two of these KIPP-occupied buildings are still owned by the Board of Education, the other two by KIPP itself. The remaining former Gardenville School is now Gateway Science Academy in Princeton Heights.
The drop in public school enrollment and rise in charter school enrollment has not stopped. Since 1991, SLPS has closed 87 schools and opened 27, a net loss of 60 schools. In that same time 61 charters have opened and 19 have closed, a net gain of 42. One major advantage of the public school system is the accountability of SLPS board members to public elections. However, this accountability has not stemmed the tide of losses for SLPS, nor has it protected them from major scandal. For now, these five charter schools occupy former public school buildings, but the number is likely to grow.

Clinton School/
KIPP Wisdom Academy
1224 Grattan
Neighborhood: Peabody-Darst-Webb
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1940
Owner: KIPP ST LOUIS FACILITIES FUND
Image Google Streetview 2022

Gardenville School/
Gateway Science Academy
6651 Gravois Road
Neighborhood: Princeton Heights
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1907
Year Sold: 2011
Owner: 6651 GRAVOIS LLC
Image Google Streetview 2022

Lowell School/
KIPP Triumph Academy
1409 Linton Avenue
Neighborhood: Carr Square
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1926
Year Closed: 2003
Owner: KIPP ST LOUIS
Image Google Streetview 2014

Mitchell School/
KIPP Victory Academy
955 Arcade Ave
Neighborhood: West End
Historic Status: Preservation Review Dist.
Year Constructed: 1964
Year Closed: 2007
Owner: Board of Education
Image Google Streetview 2014

Pruitt School/
KIPP Inspire Academy
1212 N. 22nd St.
Neighborhood: Carr Square
Historic Status: NRHP Status
Year Constructed: 1955
Year Closed: 2010
Owner: Board of Education
Image Google Streetview 2017
Lessons Learned
I’ve gathered this list from so many different sources, but certainly I’ve missed a building or two. The list is almost certain to grow in the coming years as more schools close. Admittedly, the scope of this inventory isn’t about the quality of schools or schooling, but about the buildings themselves. The scale and beauty of many of these great old buildings inspires in a way that newer buildings — built for practicality and efficiency — simply do not. What’s more, they remind us of a less divided city, one where beautiful public infrastructure was the right of all St. Louisans regardless of what neighborhood they called home. To lose them is, at least symbolically, to lose part of that city.

Of those that have come back from the brink, the majority have been saved by repurposing them as residences. If getting these buildings on the National Register makes it easier for these buildings to be converted, we might proactively do the work to get all remaining and eligible buildings to this point. To make it harder to demolish them, we might work to expand and restore Preservation Review Districts (shown in yellow to the right) in the Central Corridor and North City. To combat NIMBYs who stand in the way of conversion, we might be proactively planning with nearby communities and zoning these lots for conversion wherever possible.
It’s important to acknowledge all the work SLPS has done on behalf of these buildings, alongside a community of preservationists and developers. That so many have been spared demolition is no mean feat. But, as the many videos above make clear, the underfunded district does not have the resources to maintain these buildings, and some sold are falling through the cracks. All the schools currently for sale through the BOE , taken together, amount to a total price tag of roughly $8.25 million. This would seem a small price to pay for a city that might take control of these landmarks, if only to be able to execute a more strategic and impartial plan for their future, and put a little something in the coffers of a district that likely has harder days ahead.