Soulard Farmers' Market: Comments from Insiders and Guide for Beginners
Good Neighbors Create Better Neighborhoods
Soulard in Literature: Stephen E. Ambrose, Tim Fox and Eric Sandweiss, Betty Pavlige, Arthur Proetz and Adolf Schultz
Steps to Neighborhood Revival:
The Problem
It is closer to the truth than to exaggeration to say that in 1974 a Soulard building owner who wanted out had two options: (1) abandon the property or (2) burn it for insurance. There was no active real estate market then. But there were frequent fires and a long list of Soulard property in tax arrears.
In the Soulard of 1974, the curb appeal was terrible. There were very few trees, but trash, board-ups and burn-outs were everywhere. Shells and abandoned property served as dumping grounds for debris, trash and raw garbage. The architectural richness of the neighborhood was obscured by neglect and decay.
 Designer Philip Durham, A.I.A., puts some time in at the drawing board at Studio Durham, his architectural firm located in a century old warehouse in Soulard. (People Productions photo by Clark Rowley) |
The Seventh Ward alderman, who had been in office since April 19, 1949, was perceived to control access to City Hall and city services. He was a force to preserve the status quo, the primary characteristic of which was doing nothing, encouraging the cycle of abandonment and demolition, leading inevitably to additional population displacement.
Residents seemed paralyzed. City municipal departments responded to calls, but calls were few and far between. Some homeowners continued to keep their property in immaculate shape. But few residents understood they had the option to improve the context of the neighborhood.
A cheerful "good morning" or a "good afternoon" to a passerby often elicited no response. The social fabric, like the neighborhood, was in need of repair.