Boo Cat Club, originally St. Louis Artists Guild, St. Louis, Missouri, 1908, Louis C. Spiering

Events & Tours

The St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians holds two annual meetings: one business meeting with a brief program and one member gathering in which members provide program content. The Chapter also coordinates lectures about architectural topics, not limited to the St. Louis region. This page provides helpful links to events and tours sponsored by St. Louis Chapter of SAH as well as those sponsored by other organizations. Members may send event and tour information to our Webmaster.

The Society of Architectural Historians – St. Louis Chapter and the St. Louis Public Library – Central Library/Steedman Architectural Library are pleased to announce that their 2023 Fall Lecture Series will be offered as in-person lectures at the St. Louis Public Library – Central Library again! We will also offer the talk via Zoom and record it for viewing later on the SLPL-CL YouTube site.

Current Events

• "2024 Annual Gathering" ONLINE Program, February 18, 2024, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  Please RSVP no later than Monday, February 12, 2023 to John Guenther at john.c.guenther@gmail.com  We will send out a Zoom link to those who RSVP.  In keeping with our tradition, member presentations of a favorite building or place are welcome. Please email presentations to John Guenther at john.c.guenther@gmail.com by Monday, February 12, 2023, so they may be integrated into the overall slide show.  Please use PowerPoint with a Widescreen 16:9 ratio slide size so that all presentations are consistent in size and format. Please include a title slide with your name and your topic. Please limit presentations to 5 minutes maximum. If help is needed in preparing a presentation, please contact John Guenther by email or phone (314) 560-1493.
  
• "Eliel Saarinen – Finland and America" by Esley Hamilton, Past Preservation Historian, St. Louis County Parks, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, February 27, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.
• "Saigon: From Fishing Village to Metropolis (YouTube video)" by Ed Haysom, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.
• "The Discovery of the Soulard Stones: How Historic Maps and Modern Surveying Equipment Led to the Discovery of the 18th Century Survey Markers" by Ryan Johnston at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, April 3, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
  
• "The Architectural History of the Lemp Brewery" by Chris Naffziger, historian and writer at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "Working with the City's Cultural Resources Office" by Med Lousteau, Director St. Louis City Cultural Resources Office at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, April 17, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "Lions, Bricks and Brutalism, Oh My: The University City Public Library" by Sue Pruchnicki, FAIA, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.
• "A Brief Look at the Landmark Homes of the Sutton and Rannells Families and the Farms that Would Become Maplewood" by Doug Houser, Maplewood historian at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "Building a Family Archive" by Emma Prince, professional archivist at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, May 1, 2024, 12:00 noon, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "There Were Lions in the Way: Enslavement & the Underground Railroad in MO & IL" by Julie Nicolai, author at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "You Can't Spell Style without STL: How the History and Architecture of St. Louis Captured Our Imaginations and Built a Brand" by Jeff and Randy Vines at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "Made in STL: The Stuff Underfoot that Build the 19th Century City" by Andrew Wanko, Public Historian, Missouri History Museum at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, 12:00 noon, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "The History and Restoration of the Soulard Settler's Cottage" by Andrew Weil, Director, Landmarks Association at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, May 29, 2024, 12:00 noon, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "The History of the Field House Museum and an Update on Flood Restoration Work" by Stephanie Bliss, Director of the Field House Museum at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 12:00 noon, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "The Lion's Den: Misadventures in Restoration" by Mitch and Amanda Goist at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "Dr. Richard Fuhrmann: Amateur Photographer in Turn-of-the-Century St. Louis" by Tom Gronski, Researcher, Campbell House Museum at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 6:00 pm, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "The Photos of Dr. William Swekosky: The Dentist Who Became the 'Pallbearer' of Old St. Louis" by Andy Hahn, Director of the Campbell House Museum at Landmarks Association, 1805 South 9th St., St. Louis, MO 63104, Wednesday, June 26, 2024, 12:00 noon, free, registration required.  Call (314) 421-6474 or email: office@landmarks-stl.org for more information.
• "A National Museum of American Architecture in St. Louis" by Robert J. Moore, Jr., PhD, senior lecturer in the Washington University in St. Louis Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, September 24, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.
• "A New Museum of the Built Environment for Our Age: The National Building Arts Center" by Michael Allen, Executive Director, National Building Arts Center, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, October 22, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.
• "The Forgotten Architectural Legacy of Harvey Ellis" by John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, John C. Guenther Architect LLC, President, Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2024 Lecture Series.

Past SAH Lecture Series Index

Past SAH Lecture Series Recordings

• "Charles Eames" by Andrew Raimist, Architect, Educator, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, November 28, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "When Bad Things Happen to Good Buildings" by Meg Lousteau, Director, Cultural Resources Office, City of St. Louis, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, October 24, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "Louis I. Kahn: The Eternal and the Circumstantial" by Robert McCarter, Ruth and Norman Moore Professor of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis, in person and ONLINE Program by the St. Louis Public Library, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, September 26, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "The Photos of Dr. Wm. Swekosky - The Dentist Who Became the 'Pallbearer of Old St. Louis'" by Andrew Hahn, Executive Director, Campbell House Museum, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, April 25, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "The Architecture of Dublin, Ireland" presented by Esley Hamilton, Past Preservation Historian, St. Louis County Parks, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "Gyo Obata - Architect" presented by John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, John C. Guenther Architect LLC, President, Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, February 28, 2023, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2023 Lecture Series.
• "New Headquarters Building" by Andrew Weil, Landmarks Association of St. Louis , ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, November 15, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Missouri Places in Peril" annual project of Missouri Preservation, by Riley Price, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, October 25, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Housing Blocs - Comparing Modernist Mass Housing Architecture Across the US and Yugoslavia" by Michael Allen, Director and Architectural Historian, Preservation Research Office, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, September 27, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Charles Eames' work prior to Cranbrook and California" by Andrew Raimist, Architect, ONLINE Program Not Recorded by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, April 26, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Gale E. Henderson, Prominent St. Louis Architect" by Catherine Kerr, author, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, March 22, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., Landscape Architect, Author, Conservationist (1822-1903)" by Esley Hamilton, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, February 22, 2022, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2022 Lecture Series.
• "Le Corbusier’s American Influence - Breuer, Pei, and Sert" by Eric P. Mumford, Rebecca and John Voyles Professor of Architecture, Professor of Art History & Archaeology, and Professor of History at Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, ONLINE Program Not Recorded by the St. Louis Public Library, Thursday, November 18, 2021, 6:30-7:30 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Steedman Series sponsored by the Steedman Architectural Library and St. Louis Public Library. 
• "The Art and History of Stain Glass" Aaron Fri, Craftsman and President, Emil Frei & Associates, ONLINE Program Description by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, November 16, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library s of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "St. Louis Globe Democrat Building / St. Louis Post-Dispatch Building" by Karen Bode Baxter, Architectural Historian and Preservation Specialist, ONLINE Program Description by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, October 26, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "Lustron Homes, St. Louis and Beyond" by Peter Wollenberg, Architectural Conservator, Wollenberg Building Conservation, LLC, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, September 28, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "The Wainwright Tomb: Louis Henry Sullivan's Eternal Masterpiece" by John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, September 14, 2021, 7:00-8:30 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Steedman Series sponsored by the Steedman Architectural Library and St. Louis Public Library.
• "Antonio Barluzzi - A Roman Architect in the Holy Land" by John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP, Principal, John C. Guenther Architect LLC, President, Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, April 27, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "The Architecture of Carlo Scarpa: Recomposing Place, Intertwining Time, Transforming Reality" by Robert McCarter, Ruth and Norman Moore Professor of Architecture, Washington University in St. Louis, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Tuesday, March 23, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "The Architecture of Oscar Niemeyer" presented by Esley Hamilton, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Training Room, 2nd Floor, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, February 23, 2021, 6:30-8:00 pm, free, registration required.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2021 Lecture Series.
• "Places in Peril - 2020" presented by Bill Hart, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Training Room, 2nd Floor, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, September 22, 2020, 6:30-8:00 pm, free.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2020 Lecture Series. 
• "Christopher Wren's St. Mary Aldermanbury: A Masterwork of English Baroque in Fulton, Missouri" presented by Esley Hamilton, ONLINE Program Recording by the St. Louis Public Library, Training Room, 2nd Floor, 1301 Olive St., St. Louis, MO 63103, Tuesday, March 24, 2020, 6:30-8:00 pm, free.  This lecture is part of the Society of Architectural Historians St. Louis Chapter and the Steedman Architectural Library presentation of the SAH 2020 Lecture Series.  

Past Events

• The Society of Architectural Historians-St. Louis Chapter held its 2023 Annual Meeting in person at the National Building Art Center in Sauget, Illinois on June 17. Twenty members attended.
   
  
  
  National Building Arts Center, Sauget, IL
  
  
  We had a brief business meeting to review this past year’s activities with the President’s Report, the Treasurer’s Report and the proposed slate of the Board of Directors for 2023-2024, approved by those present. It was suggested that we return to in-person events and activities, including next year’s 2024 Annual Gathering. Suggestions for a location are welcome.
   
  We thanked Michael Allen, Executive Director, National Building Arts Center and Director and Architectural Historian, Preservation Research Office, and Senior Lecturer, Washington University in St. Louis, for generously hosting us for our meeting.
   
  Michael gave us an overview of the history of the National Building Arts Center, its mission, current activities, future projects and goals, before leading us on a tour of the NBAC library and its resources for researchers, followed by a tour of the grounds to see “Little Liberty,” a 30’ tall replica of the Statue of Liberty, which was donated by the Brooklyn Art Museum.
   
  
  

“Little Liberty” awaits restoration and mounting atop a new steel frame base. Michael then showed us their outstanding collections of historical building materials and artifacts. It was an inspiring and memorable day, for which we are most grateful. We look forward to following their progress and encourage you to visit the National Building Arts Center to better appreciate this amazing collection of national significance here in the St. Louis region.
• "2023 SAH Annual Gathering" St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, ONLINE MEETING, Sunday, February 19, 2023, 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm.  In keeping with our tradition, member presentations of a favorite building or place will be presented. Please RSVP to John C. Gunther at john.c.guenther@gmail.com.
• "2022 Annual Meeting" Society of Architectural Historians - St. Louis Chapter, Employment Security Building, 505 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63101, Saturday, July 9, 2022, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon.  The annual business meeting followed by a tour of the building while it was undergoing renovation.



Employment Security Building, St. Louis, Missouri, Gyo Obata, 1959, photo by John C. Guenther, FAIA, LEED AP


• "2021 Annual Meeting" Society of Architectural Historians - St. Louis Chapter, Pappas House, 865 Masonridge Road, Town & Country MO 63141, Saturday, June 26, 2021, 10:00 am - 12:00 noon. We held our annual business meeting and then toured this Frank Lloyd Wright designed 3,000 square foot Usonian Automatic home for Ted and Bette Pappas in 1955. We thank Michael and Carol Miner, owners of the Pappas House since 2020, and their nonprofit, the Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative, for allowing us to meet there. We encourage you to support their efforts.
  

  Pappas House, Town & Country, MO, 1964, Frank Lloyd Wright
  

   
  
• "2020 SAH Annual Gathering" St. Louis Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, at the Cardinal Rigali Center, 20 Archbishop May Dr., St. Louis, MO 63119-5738, Sunday, February 9, 2020, 6:00 pm - 9:30 pm.  In keeping with our tradition, member presentations of a favorite building or place were presented.
  

  Cardinal Rigali Center, originally Kenrick Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri, 1913-16

  • "Annual Meeting" St. Louis Chapter, Society of Architectural Historians, Link Auditorium, 4504 Westminster Place, St. Louis, MO 63108, Saturday, June 15, 10:00-12:00 noon.
  
  Last year's annual meeting included an opportunity to tour the Link Auditorium, formerly the Wednesday Club.  In addition to a brief business meeting, we toured Second Presbyterian Church also designed by Theodore Link in 1896 and located across the street at 4501 Westminster Place.
  
  


Link Auditorium, St. Louis, Missouri, 1908, Theodore Link