The St. Louis Republic., 1904-02-21

Prominent among the modern improve
ments which appeal to the thousands OF
visitors who come to ST. Louis are the
elegant and substantial office buildings
which are scattered about the bushes.
district
Tho same architectural beauty which
eompe;s the admiration Of strangers
Arouses feelings of pride and satisfac-
tion among the residents who daily have
occasion to enter these buildings to trans
oct business.
Among the structures which take front
rank because of convenience and mag
uincenoe. are the homes OF the various
trust companies. which transact millions
Of dollars worth o< business annually.
In these trust company buildings two
distinct types OF architecture are notice.
able. One type is represented by the sky
0crapef-a massive edifice which contains
Hundreds of office rooms. In addition to
the ofiices OF the trust company which
owns It.
This type of architecture Is best rep
resented by such buildings as the Missouri
Trust building. Seventh and Olive streets:
the Lincoln Trust building. Seventh and
Chestnut streets; and the Commonwealth
Trust building, Broadway and Olive street.
The other type Is found in the smaller
and perhaps more elegant buildings which
are erected for the exclusive home of
one particular concern. Foremost in this
class are the Mississippi Valley Trust
building. Fourth and Pine streets; the Mer-
camille Trust building. Eighth and Lo-
Gust streets. and the ST. Louis Union Trust
building. Fourth and Locust streets.
GREAT SKYSCRAPERs.
The lincoln Trust building Is twelve
stories high in addition to a basement and
. half story next to the roof which IS
divided into storerooms. The building is
about $50 feet high and is constructed of
brick, stone and steel. 1t is built In the
shape Of a letter H. Two courts, in the
front and rear respectively. break the
monotony OF the towering walls.
The building contains 347 office rooms in
addition to the ofices Of the Lincoln Trust
Company. which takes Up most OF the
larst floor. There Is lo5-foot frontage on
Chestnut street and 1OS feet on Seventh
street The skyscraper was built in 1885
At q cost OF more than half a million
dollars.
The Missouri Trust building Is fifteen
stories high. including q basement, and
ms roof garden which is $50 feet in the
aif. This BUILDING was erected in 1893, 1t
contains about $50 office rooms. The
building Is simple and substantial in style
Of architecture. A court on the Olive
street front divides the building into two
wings.
The Commonwealth Trust building was
one OF the first large office buildings to
% erected In st. Louis. Its construction
oates back almost a quarter of n century.
The building is eight stories high and
contains about ninety office rooms It
aronts 81 feet on Broadway and IS feet on
Olive street
The other type Of buildings which afford
oniees for trust companies represent all
the advantages and elegance of Grecian
architecture combined with modern ideas
OF construction. This type OF buildings
Illustrates the conservatism of great
financial concerns and the precautions
taken to insure security to the patrons
and depositors
SMALLER STRUCTURES.
Tho Mississippi Valley Trust building
was hrst occupied in 1896. This edifice is
composed Of coupled and grouped CORN. |
tnian piiasters resting on a low base and |
supporting a simple but massive entabla. |
ture crowned BY balustrade.
AT the corner of the building the arcbf- |
erave II rounded off and supported bv
two nuted Corinthian columns-the wall
niiing set back to admit OF a recessed yes.
tioule and the main entrance to the Of |
nces The building fronts 81 feet on
Fourth street and 127 feet on Pine street.
II 10 70 feet to the top Of the cornice.
The st. Louis Union Trust building 4,
Built OF granite. Its main entrance =.
marked by a re-cntrant portico treated
With thanking pilasters and two monolithtc
columas surmounted by a massive pedi-
ment- The building extends "a feet on
Fourth street and 127 feet on Locust
street. Inside. the building presents an
admirable array Of Doric and Ionic
columns and pilasters. The building "a
open to an arched roof in the center and
in two stories around the four
walls.
A striking feature of the Mercantile
Trust building on the exterior is the ff-
teen granite columns employed In the con- |
Itruction Of the two facades Each column |
measures y feet in height, with a diaD |
ster OF 8 feet at the base.
The columns are purely Ionic in archj- |
ecturai detail and have richly carved |
oases and capitals. The effect OF the
columns Is enhanced hy rather severe |
treatment of the corner piers. which are
vfth0ut orhamentation. and the massive
which ties the entire COM
,osision together at the top.