Churches, Chapels and Synagogues
Churches and religious structures tend to be the most prominent and common examples of Mid-Century Modern in America. In St. Louis, Modernist religous design spans from the revolutionary 1938 St. Mark's Episcopal, and a slew of early 1950s Catholic buildings, into the late 1960s. Almost half the buildings shown here are related to the Catholic Church, due to its wide sponsorship of construction in the 1950s and 1960s, its tendency during that time to build contemporary styled structures, and its generally good stewardship of its buildings since then.

Churches & Religous Buildings > > >

Emil Frei Stained Glass
Simultaneous with the flowering of the Mid-Century church building came the peak years of St. Louis's most prominent stained glass company, Emil Frei Associates. The company's distinctive work graces dozens of local churches, synagogues, and other buildings.

Emil Frei Stained Glass > > >

Commercial, Public, Educational and Residential
The Modernist movement found its way into every other facet of architecture as the 1950s progressed. Starting with early pre-war buildings like the 1938 Shanley Building, Modernism went from a ground-breaking innovation before World War II, to a common symbol of modern life after the war - especially in the suburbs.

Commercial, Residential, Public > > >