Conversations on the Stoop

Give Me That Old Time Religion

Greg Stock is living in his second Benton Park home.

Libby Reuter, an artist who does water color painting and sculpture, was introduced to Benton Park by artist friends. "They all thought my purchase of a home here was a great idea," she comments. "On the other hand, my parents were mortified." Originally from Wisconsin, she had rented in the Central West End and in Skinker-deBaliviere before purchasing in Benton Park. She moved to the neighborhood when her children, Hannah and Tobias, were 11 and 12.

"It was perceived to be risky in 1980, but I was young and I did not heed the words of those older and wiser," she jokes. Libby is an arts administrator with Southwestern Illinois College, Belleville, Il. Her two children have left the nest, of course. Tobias is an architect in Kansas City, MO and Hannah is a public health professional working in the U.S. and Asia. Both earned masters degrees after going through magnet schools in the St. Louis public school system.

For Marian Amies, who settled in Benton Park in 1988, one of the attractions has always been "my fascination with the historical and architectural fabric of the neighborhood." She was raised in the vicinity of London, England and is an assistant professor in the art and art history department, University of Missouri, teaching graphic design and computer art. She is also a print maker and book artist.

Marian Amies.
Marian Amies shows off the new iron gates protecting a storage area underneath an arched Benton Park bridge. Gates and bridge repairs were accomplished with a grant from the Whitaker Foundation and funds from the City of St. Louis. A number of neighborhood residents contributed their time and efforts to complete the project.

"I have always been surprised by the casual attitude so many St. Louis people display toward the historical and architectural heritage of the city," she observes. "Perhaps because I never went through the bad times of the neighborhood, I was able to see it with fresh eyes and appreciate its dynamic character and uniqueness," she explains.

Marian lives and has a studio in an Arsenal Street building which had been a bakery. She shares the space with Bill Kranz, a theatre artist who operates a workshop/studio for creating props. "The old bakery production area provides a non-traditional space, now adapted for studio use," Marian notes.

Many think that the bad times are slowly coming to an end. Architect Mike Killeen observes that "the neighborhood is clearly moving up. We are seeing a lot of rehab activity, a lot of investment in our older buildings." he points out.

Sharen McCabe, who had also been puzzled by the "throw-away" attitude of many St. Louis people towards their older buildings, says she believes that "the older buildings are acting like magnets, attracting interested and interesting people who want to live in a unique urban setting."

Mark Olsen, the Virginia native, echoes these sentiments. "The sense of community which can be generated by urban living is a catalyst. Knowing and enjoying a healthy mix of neighbors can only attract more contributing people to the neighborhood," he concludes.

Currently viewing page 3 of 3 pages.

Feature by Clark Rowley of People Productions.

Previous page.

You are visitor number [an error occurred while processing this directive] since [an error occurred while processing this directive].