A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes - Hardcover

Hamilton, Nancy Moore

Hardcover

ISBN 13: 9798985571622

Publisher: Missouri Historical Society Press, 2023

Synopsis

 The first biography of an unsung St. Louis builder.
 
Though few people in contemporary St. Louis likely know his name, it’s indisputable that builder A. A. Fischer left an indelible mark on the city’s residential architecture. Between 1894 and 1929, Fischer was responsible for the construction of more than three hundred houses and apartment buildings in St. Louis and nearby University City, Missouri. His trademark was the broken frieze, whose wreaths and swags descend into the spaces between the upper-story windows, rather than extending straight across the façade below the cornice, as is traditional. Today, you can still see homes and commercial buildings across the St. Louis area bearing Fischer’s trademark.  
 
A. A. Fischer’s St. Louis Streetscapes is the first biography of this unsung urban builder. Nancy Moore Hamilton delves into Fischer’s life and work, exploring not only his prolific construction career but also his other related business ventures, dabbling in speculation, buying and selling real estate, and producing architectural plans. Featuring more than four hundred images and a full-color fold-out map showing all of Fischer’s homes, this book is sure to bring attention to a builder who quietly shaped a midwestern metropolis.

About this title

About the Author

Nancy Moore Hamilton is a longtime resident of Kalamazoo, Michigan, whose writing has appeared in The Society of Architectural Historians—Missouri Valley Chapter newsletter.

Edition details

• Publisher: Missouri Historical Society Press
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798985571622
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496