Built St. Louis
The Beauty of Modernism

St. Ann of Normandy Catholic Church
7530 Natural Bridge Road, Normandy - inner NW County
Architect: Joseph Murphy
Date: 1951

A very early example of post-war Modernism in the St. Louis. Clad in the orange brick so typical of the era, the exterior is largely unadorned; the interior is a serene and tranquil space, dominated at one end by an enormous stained glass window.

St. Ann was the first of three Modernist Catholic churches by Murphy; it was followed by St. Peter in Kirkwood, then Resurrection Church in south City. The stained glass on St. Ann was designed by Francis Deck; on all three it was executed by Emil Frei Associates., one of the largest stained glass firms in the country whose work is seen on churches across the city and the United States. The company is still in operation today in the hands of Emil Frei Sr.'s decendants.