Historic building at 1009 Olive Street in St. Louis, Missouri.Photo bypublichall, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

On May 9, 2002, the building at 1009 Olive Street in St. Louis, Missouri was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This four-story building was also known as the Eastman Kodak Building. It was made of reinforced concrete.

The architectural style of this building is Modern Movements: Art Deco. The walls are stone granite and terra cotta. The architectural firm was Klipstein & Rathmann. When the building was nominated for the National Register, the owner was Loftworks,LLC.

Backstory

This building is important because of ist Art Deco architectural style. When Klipstein & Rathmann designed this building, they wanted it to be distinct. It was built in 1928 to serve as a store for Eastman Kodak.

By 1928, Eastman Kodak Stores took over the last 77 years of a 99 year lease. The owner of the property was Leonora Louderman Carlisle and according to deed records, the building was in her family until Loftworks, LLC purchased it in 2000.

Prior to the 1920's the Klipstein & Rathmann firm had a close association with Anheuser- Busch which resulted in the Bevo building at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, the Bauernhof stable complex at the Busches' suburban estate, and neighborhood taverns.

Even though the building is small, it displays the characteristics of Art Deco which was a rare style in the city.

DeMay Furs, Ltd. was in the building until 2001. Today, the building houses Thaxton Speakeasy, an underground lounge and event space.

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