Long Lost House on University Avenue

Dentist William J. Swekosky spent his lifetime taking photographs of St. Louis' historic architecture. Often, Swekosky took photographs of doomed buildings, and his images are the only known remaining photographs. Swekosky's work began in 1930 and continued until 1964, when he passed away.

Among his hundreds of photographs is the one shown here, of a fine Italianate town house at 2505 University Avenue in St. Louis Place. The house is noteworthy for the finely detailed stone front, elaborate continuous cornice and the "widow's walk" cresting above the mansard roof. Like other buildings, this one fell not long after the dentist took its photograph around 1965. Today, the house site is occupied by a vacant Section 235 home owned by a McEagle holding company.