Zounds! Awesome article and pix, Steel!! I'm assuming the last picture is inside one of the side towers--?
Ben, this is indeed an all-masonry tower (as are the towers at the Richardson complex). Also, the stonework of the spire is not enclosed, but open to the elements. The tower of St. Louis' has the distinction of being one of the tallest of that type in the world.
This church is one amazing feat of engineering that still stands, a "72-foot-tall, pierced spire -- the tallest open-work spire ever built completely of stone without reinforcement in the U.S. It is reputed to be the only remaining pierced spire in the U.S. Its counterpart is in J.W. Schikel's native Germany in the Cologne Cathedral." It would great if the interior of the spire could be lit up at night, a fund should be started to light this magnificant structure at night. Where do I send the check?
Nice photos here and at the link you provided. I recently took a trip to Pittsburgh and had lunch at the Church Brew Works, a formerly vacant RC Church transformed into a a brew pub...they brew on the former altar, and the seats at the tables are church pews... truly an innovative re-use of a beautiful building. Pittsburgh city planners did quite a few things right, the major league sports arenas are downtown as well as a university. I was at one time a church sexton (official job title) which is a story in itself....I had the opportunity to visit the pipe room as well as the bellows, and got the chance to watch when the organ tuners did their seasonal tuning of the organ, pots of rabbit skin glue and everything, they hit the lowest note a few times which is an earth shaking experience.
During renovation a few years ago, I thought someone told me (one of the workers?) that the steeple is unusual in that it has no steel infrastructure, just stone. Anyone know if that's true? Anyway, interesting story about a great building.
Thanks for the great story Steel!! I moved to buffalo about a year ago and this building captured my attention from the get-go. I will definilty be attending one of their tours.
I'm so jealous and didn't know the tours existed. When I come back to buffalo and into the city the tower of St Louis is my welcome. I've often marveled at the lace like look seen against a blue sky. Thanks for the great photos. I will experience it for myself next visit. Great story.
How cool, the images from skyscrapercity remind me of some of the spaces I went in during my travels abroad. The construction of these structures and the way people move through them are really spectacular.
Just a clarification. I do not think that the public building tours include these spaces so BRO will need to be your one and only guide.
My grandmother's German furniture seller's family attended this church 100++ years ago. My grandmother went to the elementary school they had, where they still taught in German or taught German, not sure which; or maybe it was they still said the Mass in German. She was married there in 1917, too. When I do attend Mass there, I wonder what it was like way back then. I love that so much has been kept up-to-date (can't beat the heated seats in the winter, too--don't touch the pipes though--you're hands'll get dirty) and love that you've shared these photos. Thanks for your story and everyone else's factoids, especially about the tower. Another factoid: that parish is the oldest in the city and, obviously, founded by a bunch of Germans, I think.
Outstanding story and photos. I walk/drive/ride my bike past St. Louis daily and it never fails to capture my imagination, yet I've never set foot in the building. I too wondered what is up in the tower.
Pittsburgh is a great nearby example of a city that takes urban planning seriously. When I lived there in the early 1980s, the city was actively targeting areas for future development. Their Southside project is a great recent urban success and walking through that neighborhood is a true pleasure.
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