Built St. Louis
The Industrial City

Crunden Martin Manufacturing Company
Gratiot Street at 1st and 2nd Streets, St. Louis

The buildings of the Crunden Martin Manufacturing Company form the core of Chauteau's Landing, an industrial district immediately south of the Arch grounds. Crunden-Martin, which seems to have produced a variety of metal goods, filed for Chapter 11 in 1990.

Crunden Martin Buildings #1, #2, #3, #4, #6
Crunden Martin consists of six conjoined buildings identified by number, with a seventh building linked to the others by skybridge. Some feature ornate trim hearkening to the Prairie Style movement; one is built of exposed concrete. The buildings were designed by Mauran, Russell & Garden, and the firm's continuation, Mauran, Russell & Crowell, between 1904 and 1918.

The buildings have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places by their owners, a good sign for their preservation. Buildings #1 and #3 have suffered cornice damage, but the remainder appear intact. Three proposals to convert the complex to residential and businesses materialized in 2005.

Crunden Martin Building #7
Building #7 is constructed with raw concrete, a contrast to its brick-clad neighbors. It was designed by Tom Barnett & Co. in 1920.

Crunden Martin Building #5
Building #5 is separate from the main group, but a multi-story sky bridge connects it. Designed by Mauran, Russell & Crowell, 1912.

Powell Square Building
Not related to the Crunden-Martin complex, but immediately adjacent, this massive building has stood gutted for several years, a prominent if desolate landmark along the northbound freeway. Plans have been drawn up for renovating and expanding it, with a glassy, curvy modern addition forming a sharp contrast to the building's painted concrete; however no activity was evident at the site as of November 2006. The most recent word was of a plan to convert it to a gallery space called the Artery, with construction beginning in late 2007.

Several other industrial buildings stand in the immediate area.

Photo notes:
1 - a faded ghost sign, illegible in my photographs.
2 - the mighty MacArthur Bridge looms over all.
3 - Elevated rail lines lead to the MacArthur and north along the riverfront..

Gallery: Adjacent Buildings
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