Section 106 Guidelines: City of St Louis

Doors

This is an example of the door.

Because the door is such a critical visual element of a building's elevation, replacement doors on historic buildings must replicate the originals. If the original door design is not known, a door from a similar building in the neighborhood may be taken as an example. Wood replacement doors are preferred, but metal doors are acceptable, providing their design duplicates the original door's appearance. Different door styles were popular at various times:

This is an example of door replacements on historic buildings.

Note that six-panel doors are not appropriate for most St. Louis buildings, on openings visible from the street. The six-panel door is a Colonial door style, and appears only on original buildings pre-dating 1840, and occasionally on later "Colonial Revival" buildings constructed in the 1920's and 30's.

This is an example of an early St. Louis House with Colonial-style Doors.

Transoms must be retained, but may be fixed in place. All door surrounds and trim on front and side facades must be retained or replicated.

If security is a concern, Lexan--or similar security material-may be substituted for the door's original glazing.

Abandoned doors: on buildings where one or more entrances are to be abandoned, the following procedures should be followed:

  • Front and visible facades: Doors should be fixed in place, if required, never removed or replaced by a window;

  • Rear and non-visible facades: On masonry buildings, entrances to be abandoned may be permanently closed by brick infill, recessed a minimum of 2 inches from the facade plane. Frame buildings may have such openings closed with a permanent panel.

    Door openings altered to windows are acceptable on rear and non-visible facades, but the area beneath the new sill should be infilled with recessed brick, as above.

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