Built St. Louis > > The North Side > > Hyde Park
January 1999: The area's architectural anchor is this building, the Nord St. Louis Turnverein, which stands just south of Hyde Park. Dating from the 1870s and 1890s, it was constructed as a home for the Turner Society, an organization dedicated to various modes of social reform. It includes a large gymnasium space that in its later years hosted rock concerts.
The building evolved over several decades via a piecemeal series of additions, eventually expanding to run the length of the block.
October 2002: The building suffered a major roof collapse in 2000. Long vacant and open to the elements, it lingered on the
Landmarks St. Louis list of most endangered buildings for several years. By 2006, little remained to salvage beyond the building's shell.
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September 2006: The Turnverien suffered a massive fire over the 4th of July holidays, possibly triggered by fireworks. Much of the building burned to the ground; only the gymnasium on the south end of the block escaped with its facade intact. Salvage crews have been slowly cleaning up the site since, removing debris and salvaging brick.
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October 2002: the gym pre-fire.
September 2006: the surviving portion of the bulding, post-fire.
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Before the fire, a gut rehab might have been a possibility, albeit an expensive one.
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September 2006: Now, however, there is very little left to save, aside from the southern portion. The most likely prospect is that the building's remains will be salvaged; brick is already being palletized and shipped off. |
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