This photo is a drone shot that was gifted me by my neighbor Art. He is an architect and is also our partner on our joint tree trimming project. The history museum has its actual museum in Forest Park, about a mile or more further east. This building functions as the History Society’s main office and library. It is located on Skinker at Wydown and was hit dead on by the tornado. The building was originally a Jewish temple but has been repurposed for as long as I can remember. This is a beautiful capture, with the copper glowing in the sunlight. According to my map of the tornado’s path, it made a direct hit on this building. It might have strengthened to an F2 by then. The Missouri Historical Society has been a major benefactor to Rey’s employer. I hope that they remain so.
The building is the former United Hebrew Temple, a Reform congregation. It was established in 1837, is the first Jewish congregation in St. Louis, and is the first Jewish congregation west of the Mississippi. My family belonged to this Temple and my sister and I went to religious school there. The sanctuary was designed by the late Rabbi Samuel Thurman and I was told the it was supposed to represent Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem. The Missouri Historical Society covered the interior of the dome when they bought the building.
Interesting! Fallout from the white flight to West County.