Station G National Register of Historic Places Application

8/7/2019 Station G National Register of Historic Places Application

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NPS Form 10-900(Oct. 1990)

OMB NO.10024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNational Register of Historic PlacesRegistration Form

II.Name of Pr opertyhistoric name Laclede Gas Liqht Company Pumping Station Gother nameslsite number Laclede Gas Company Pumping Station G12. Location - - - - - --street & number 4401 Chouteau Avenue - [ nla ] not for publicationcity or town St. Louis [nla] vicinitystate Missouri code MO county St. Louis [Independent City1 code 510 zip code 63108

13. StatelFederal Agency Certification IAs the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this [ x ] nomination [ ] request fordetermination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets theprocedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. Inmy opinion, the property [ x ] meets [ ] does not meet the NationalRegister criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant [ ] nationally [ ] statewide [ x ] locally. ( See continuation sheet foradditional comments [ I.)

S~gnatureof cert~fy~ ngoff lc~ allI~tle Mark A. M~lesI Deputy SHPO DateMissouri Department of Natural ResourcesState or Federal agency and bureau

In my opinion, the property [ ] meets [ ] does not meet the National Register criteria.(See continuation sheet for additional comments [ I.)


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USDllNPS NRHP Registration FormLaclede Gas Light Co. PumpingStation GSt. Louis (Independent City), MO

15.~1assification 1Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property[x ] private[ ] public-local[ ] public-state[ ] public-Federal

[x ] building(s)[ I district[ ] site[ ] structi~re[ ] object

Name of related multiple property listing.

contributing noncontributing2 1 building0 0 sites1 1 structures0 0 objects3 2 total

Number of contributing resources previouslylisted in the National Register. 0

16. Function or UseHistoric Function Current FunctionsINDUSTRYlenerqy facility WORK IN PROGESSlresidential


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USDIINPS NRHP Registration FormLaclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis (Independent City), MO18.staternent of Sianificance 1Applicable National Register Criteria

[X I A Property IS associated with events that have made a significant contribution tothe broad patterns of our history[ ] B Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past.[X I C Property embodies the dis tinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method ofconstruction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, orrepresents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individualdistinction.[ ] D Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory orhistory.Criteria ConsiderationsProperty is:[ I A owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes.I ]B removed from its onginal location.[ ] C a birthplace or grave.I'] D a cemetery.( 1 E a reconstructed building, object, or structure.[ ] F a commemorative property.[ I G less than 50 years of age or achieved significance within the past 50 years.

Areas of SignificanceARCHITECTUREINDUSTRY

Periods of Significance1901-1956 ---

Significant DatesNIA

Significant Person(s)NIACultural AffiliationNIAArchitectlBuilderLaclede Gas Liqht Company


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USDllNPS NRHP RegistrationFormLac lede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis ( Independent City), MO[lO.(jeograp hi cal DataAcreage of Property less than one acreUTM ReferencesA. Zone Eastina Northina

[ ] See continuation sheetVerbal Boundary Description(Describe the boundaries of the property on a cont inu at i sheet.)Boundary Justification(Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.)

B. Zone0.Zone

EastingEasting

NorthingNorthing

111. Form Prepared Bynameltitle Susan SheppardlDouq Johnson, Researchersorganization Landmarks Association of St. Louis date November 17,2006street & number 917 Locust Street, 7th floor telephone (314) 421-6474city or town St. Louis state MO zipcode 63101

Additional DocumentationSubmit the following items with the completed form:Continuation SheetsMaps

A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the pro pert)'^ location.A Sketch map for historicditridsand propertieshaving largeacreage or numerousresourn.


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 7 Page 1 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

SummaryThe Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G, located at 440 1 Chouteau Avenue in St.Louis, Missouri, is an industrial site with three contributing elements composed of apump house, a free-standing valve house, and an associated natural gas storage tark. Thepump house is an elegant one-story, raised basement red brick building with an L-shapedplan, built in 1911 in the style of the Late 19thand 2othCentury Revivals. The gas storagetank or Gasometer to the northeast of the building was constructed in 1901 , although itwas greatly rebuilt in 1942. The freestanding one-story brick valve house was constructedto the east of the 19 11 building in 1950. The pump house is formal in appearance, with asymmetrical front faqade, comer quoins, and low-pitched roof with broad overhangingeaves. Many historic features of the building remain intact, including metal framewindows, interior glazed brick, and the original walls and floor plan. Although theoriginal setting has been altered, the Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G siteretains sufficient integrity of location, design, materials, workmanship, feeling andassociation.SiteThe Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G is located at 4401 Chouteau Avenue. Themain building (photo I) , or the pump house, measures approximately 88 feet on


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Departmentof the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 7_ Page 2 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

ExteriorThe Laclede G as Light Co . Pumping Station G pump house is constructed of red brickand has a concrete foundation. It has a low-pitched roof of corrugated m etal. The frontsection features a hipped roof with broad projecting eaves, and three round chimney pipesat the ridge of the roo f. The rear wing of the building is a gable with returned eaves.Althou gh it lacks a n entrance, the south elevation is considered the primary fagadebecause it faces Chouteau Av enue. Because the building was indu strial, access wasdesigned to accommodate machinery and equipment aswell as wo rkers. These utilitarianentra nces are reserved for the rear and sides of the building; a more formal andsymm etrical comp osition is presented to the street.The south elevation has five bays divided by p ilasters, and a partially raised basement(image 1). The se front bays are slightly larger than the bays on the sides of the building,altho ugh they are identical in form. Each bay co ntains two wind ows w ith splayed lintelsand a transom consisting of three latticed casement windows. Windows and transoms ofgalvaniz ed steel are original to the building. The window pairs share a continuouslimestone sill. At th e basement level of each bay is a small rectangular windo w, with ascrolled w rought iron cover. Above the conc rete foundation is a limestone water table,which divides the foundation from the brick structure. There are limestone quoins at the


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 7 Page 3 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G

St. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

Image 1: Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GP u m p House FrontISouth ElevationImage coui-tesy of the Laclede Gas Co.

The pattern of the bays-windows interrupted occasionally by doors of various sizes-continues on the sides and rear of the building. The six-bay west faqade provides for


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park SewiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEET

4Section7 Page Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

limesto ne sill and lintel. Like all other bays, this bay has brick corbelling near thecornice.Image 2: Laclede Gas Light Co. Pump ing Station G Pump House West ElevationImage cozrrtesy of the Laclede Gas Co. .- .-... - .- - --.- --- - --.- --..-.-- - ----- -.-./.- ;I i i iA'

.,-;-


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO. 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL RE GISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 7 Page 5 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

wind ows with iron scroll covers at each bay. The east side of the rear wing is three bayswide. T he first tw o bays are identical to the other bays. The rear or third bay has amodern door instead o f a window at the first opening. The second opening is filled inwith brick, although this appears to be original to the building. The continuous stone silland stone lintels are intact, as is the rectangular metal transom. To the east of the pumphouse, is a one-story brick valve house built in 1950 (photo 4). This sm all (1 0 x 10')freestanding building has a flat roof with terra cotta coping, and no window s.To the northeast o f the pump house is the large Gasom eter holder (photos 7 & 8).Acc ording to the L aclede Ga s Company, this holder predates the pum p house. It wasbuilt in 1901 but substantially altered in 1942. The large steel cylinder is approximately1 10 feet tall and 2 10 feet in diameter. Ascending from its base are 26 vertical steeltrusses. These a re supported by six horizontal steel rows that travel the circumference ofthe structure. A series of diagonal supports in cross patterns connect the vertical trussesand steel tows. This steel skeleton provided the support and track necessary to raise tankcapacity level via a telescopic mechanism.Th e structure is alm ost completely coated in lead paint. There is also considerable ruston th e steel surfaces o f the scaffolding and cylindrical tank base. Though the tank doesnot st ore gas at present, it retains its water ballast and this is very likely polluted. The


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 7 Page 6 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pump ing Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

the equipment in the basement (photo 5). In the large front room steel Y-shaped fram essuppo rt rails extendin g the length of the room, allowing for the movement of a large steelhand-powered crane.

IntegrityThe Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G site has had very few alterations otherthan t he demo lition of one of the Gasometers and retains substantial integrity throughout.The company, which owned the buildings and structure until recently, made few changesove r the years and alwa ys maintained the building carefully. A preponderance of historicmaterial is present including original double-hung window s, metal lattice transoms, andthe origin al interior glazed brick. Th e original floor plan is intact, a s well as boilers andoperating systems. The m ain alterations have been the removal o f a Zopper cornice atsom e point and the installation o f a corrugated steel roof over the original slate roof.Mino r alterations include replacement doors on the west elevation. A non-contributingsteel shed and brick m eter house remain on the site.


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NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No 1024-0018

United States Departmentof the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF t-IISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATIONSHEETSection I_ Page 7 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G


Sketch Map Showing Dimensions of Pumping StationG andGasometer


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATIONSHEETSection 8 Page 8 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping StationG


SummaryThe Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G site at 4401 Chouteau Avenue in west St.Lou is [Independen t City], Missouri is eligible for listing on the National Registe r ofHistoric Places with local significance under Criterion A for Industry and C riterion C forArchitecture. The facility was an important comp onent of the Laclede Gas L ightCom pany, a monopoly headquartered in downtow n St. Louis. From Pum ping Station Ggas stored in the steel holders was distributed to custom ers via the comp any's extensivenetwork of main lines. The accomplished Late 1 9 ' ~and 2othCentury Revival style of the1911 pump house accom modated its specific industrial program, but it also clearlyarticulated the co rporate image of the Laclede Gas Light Co. in the city of St. Louis. Thedesign also interacts with sensitivity to its surrounding commu nity, an area that isprimarily residential. The extant natural gas holder or G asometer was originallyconstructed in 1901 and was an imposing reminder of the importance of utility service inthe developm ent of the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood and the city of S t. Louis.The 1901- 1956 period of sign ificance begins with construction of the extant Gasom eterand ends with the arbitrary 50-year cutoff date for National R egister listing.

BackgroundThe origins of the Laclede Gas Light C O . ~can be traced to the creation of the St. Louis


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 8 Page 9 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping StationGSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

1889, the comp any merged w ith the earlier St . Louis Gas Light Co., as well as the smallerCarondelet G as and St. Louis Fuel and Power companies. The result of this merger was avirtual monopoly; the company became the consumer gas provider for the metropolitanarea. Rechristened the Laclede Gas Light Co., the growth of the reorganized companyremained linked to the developm ent of the city. The company also emerged on thenational stage as one o f the twelve original companies listed on the D ow Jones IndustrialAverage in 1896.~ By 1911 the Board of Directors included such notables as AdolphusBusch and Edward Mallinckrodt, further demonstrating the significance of the LacledeGas L ight Co. in the business community.Th e gas com pany purchased property in the 4400 block of Chouteau in west St. Louisfrom prominent attorney Isaac H. Lionberger (residence listed on NR as contributingresource to Midtown Historic District, 07/07/1978) in December 1897. According toLaclede Gas Co. archives, a natural gas holder (Gasometer) was erected near the com erof Choutea u and Newstead Avenues in 1901. No building permits exist to verify thisclaim , but a photograph from 1909 reveals that a gas storage tank was ex tant on the blockprior to the construction of the pum p house and second holder. An existing buildingserved as a branch office with minor additions and alterations made in 1 9 0 5 . ~As St. Louis stretched outward to its limits, the distribution system o f the utility expandedto meet consume r needs. In 1900, the company counted 64,106 gas meters. The growth


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NPS F o ~ r10-""0-a(8-86)

OM R No 1024-0018

United S + ~ t e sDepartment of the InteriorNation21 P2rt ServiceNATIOYAF- REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCOWTIYI-I4TION SHEETSection 3- Page 10 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G


Im:~(!c2 : 1,acledc Gas Light Co. ad, January 1 1 , 191 1.I , ? I ( : ( ~ ( ~fi.otn the St. Louis Globe-Dcmocrat

-"The Smoke Nuisance'' 'y-U'e rcodmurhm thu aubl rrr n.r.ndo>.c I -I t r. C I ~ Zoprtatcd bv th r N C ~ . ~ . ~ . . .-az,,c... t ,,... ..c..,....... ,..-..,., I,. ;. i-7'! matter rn hand-Peoglr u r r rommrnrmp 10 colt Sf Lou,, "fAc


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Departmentof the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 8 Page 1 1 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G


physical articulation of increased consumer demand and company commitment toprovid e servic e to all areas of the city.9 L ess conspicuous modifications and additionswere also m ade to existing stations and Gasometers. More pronounced were the newconstruction projects, of which the General Office Building was an important component.Construction on the Laclede Gas Light Co. Building (N R 11/26/1980) at the northeastcorn er of Eleventh and Olive Streets commenced in the fall of 191 1. Designed by theprestigiou s S t. Louis architectural firm M auran, Russell & Crowell in a Classical Revivalstyle, the building replaced a smaller office at 716Locust.ElaborationThe quality of the architecture at Laclede Ga s Light Co. Pumping Station G likewisearticulates the im portanc e of the company and its services, albeit on a mo re intimate,neighb orhoo d scale. Th e area surrounding the facility (Forest Park Sou theast HistoricDistrict, NR 12/20/2001; expanded 06/16/2005) was originally part o f the Cul de Saccom mo n field and the St. Louis Com mo ns laid out by French settlers in 176 9. RetiredColonel Samuel McRee purchased a series of tracts south of present day ManchesterAvenue from 1825-1832, som e of which were purchased in the 1840s by Henry haw."Compton and Dry's 1876 illustrated atlas of the city indicates that the future site of theLaclede Gas Light Co. facility on Chouteau Avenue and surrounding lands were


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NPS FOF~ln- r ,?O-a(8-85)

Unite? St ; l+~sDepartment of the InteriorNatior721 P w k ServiceNAT IQYAL PEGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTrYIVATIOhlSHEETSectior _?- Page 12 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

pr(\ri\rtics and residential buildings w ere scattered along the Chouteau Ave nue streetcar~ . O I I I ~ -\$ hich t o da ~ .provides the northern b o~ md aryof the Forest Park Sou thea st I-Iistoricl ) i \ ~ , . i c l .Ym:l(:e A: 1,aclede Gas L ight Co. natural gas holder and Aero Club gror~ nds,1909.I~vrr~r,,,f;,or?7S t . Louis: One Hzrndred Years in a Week.


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NPS Fo-r 10 -CJW-a(8-815) OMB No 1024-0018

UnitefiSt?+esDepartment of the InteriorNatioinl P ~ r kServiceNAT IOVAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCOMTr"\.I'J,ATIOhISHEETSection -8- Page 13 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G


lo I I ~ Cputnp ing station or Gasom eter at time of construction, perhaps because block 4807\\.2q ric\.cr residential o r because the site was already associated with the co mpa ny.!m:j(re 5: 1,aclede Ga s Light Co. Pumping Station C construction, A u~ tr st191 1 .

c 'oz l r f c .~)~of th e L~(c1edeGas Co.


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NP S Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States De partment of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONALREGISTEROF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 8 Page 14 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

ballast for the storage! The telescopic Gasometers could ascend and descend along thesteel framework a s necessitated by storage capacity. This was a practical but advancedsolution for fluctuating natural gas containment. An image of the earlier tank from 1909reveals an inc reased storage capacity from that currently observed (image 4). The 1911storage tank was taken ou t of service in the early 1950s and was demolished in 1966.The 190 1 Gasometer w as rebuilt in 1942 and this reconstruction is extant.The pum p house cost $1 5,000 to construct but no record of an architect has been found .How ever, the design is tentatively attributed to Mauran, Russell & Crowell, theprominent architectural firm commissioned to design Laclede Gas Light's 10-storycompany headqu arters (NR 11/26/1980) in downtow n S t. Louis at about the sam e timethat the pump house w as under construction. Although utterly dissimilar, both of thesebuildings have classical affinities and share a mastery of com position and skillfullyexecuted brickwork. Mauran, Russell & Crowell was skilled in comb ining high art withspecific industrial dem ands, as evidenced by the plant the firm designed in 1900 for theLaclede Power C ompany at 1240 Lewis in the North R iverfront Industrial District (NR05/0 1/2003).l 6The origins of Mauran, Russell & Crowell can be traced to the Boston firm of Shep ley,Rutan & Coolidge-successors to Henry Hobson Richardson. Principal architect John


19/31

NP S Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States Departme nt of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATIONSHEETSection 8 Page 15 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], M issouri

Photographs indicate that construction of the pump house probably cam e to an end in theautumn of 1911 (image 5); these images also offer a glimpse of Chouteau A venuelooking westwa rd from Newstead A venue. The buildings visible on the south side ofCh outea u-op posite the Laclede Gas Light Co. facilities-reveal an urban contextsimilar to that found in the present day. It is not known if Laclede Gas Light Co.intended to shield the ne ighborhood from the industrial impact of its facility.None theless, the arrang eme nt of the structures and the pump house helped to diminish theimpact o f the Ga som eters upon the residential side of Chouteau. Sanborn fire insurancemap s reveal that the pum p house at Pumping Station G retains a setback similar tobuildings found along the north side of Chouteau Avenue in surrounding blocks.Though the Gasometer constructed in 1911 had deteriorate d by the 1960s and wasdem olish ed, the othe r one-rebuilt in 1942--con tinued in use until the 1990s. 17Meanw hile, a m assive series of caverns in north St. Louis County began to replace theearly tw entieth century gas holders as early as 195 1. New technologies enabled L acledeGa s Light C o. to safely store natural gas underground in sandstone and distribute it over alarger geographic area. The early years of that same decade marked another change forthe company: Light was removed from its incorporated name.'* This small changereflected widespread use o f natural gas not only for lighting, but also house heating ,cooking, refrigeration, water heating and air conditioning. Though the shift corresponds


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 9 Page . 16 Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

BibliographyCity of St. Louis building permits and data engineering records. St. Louis City Hall,Microfilm Department.City of St. Louis deed abstracts. St. Louis City Hall, Office of the Assessor.Hagen, Henry M. This is Our ... St. Louis. Knight Publishing Co., St. Louis. 1970Glozier, R ob, Superintendent of Gas Supply and Control, Laclede Gas Co. Phoneinterview by Doug Johnson, July 21,20 06.Laclede Gas Co. files: Pumping Station G.Laclede Gas Licht Co. Annual Report t o the Stockholders of the Laclede G as Light Co .for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 1950. Laclede Gas Co., St. Louis. 1950.Laclede Gas Light Co. Annual Report to the Stockholders of the Laclede G as Light C o.for the Fiscal Year ended December 31, 1911. Laclede Gas Light Co., St. Louis. 1912 .Pierce, Phyllis S. The Dow Jones Industrial Averages 1885-1995. Irwin Professional


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N P S Form 10-900-a(8-86) OMB NO 1024-0018

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 9 Page 17 LacledeGas Light Co. Pumping Station GSt. Louis [Independent City], Missouri

Boundary DescriptionThe Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G is located on City Block 4807 in St.Louis, Miss ouri. The nom inated property is legally known by the Assess or's Office asparcel number 480 700 003 10. The boundary of the nominated property is indicated by adashed line on the accompanying map entitled "Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping StationG Boundary Map."Boundary JustificationThe nominated parcel includ es all extant property historically associated with the L acledeGas Light Co. Pumping Station G.


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NPS Form 10-900-a(8-86)

United States Department of the InteriorNational Park ServiceNATIONAL REGISTEROF HISTORIC PLACESCONTINUATION SHEETSection 9 Page 18 Laclede Gas Light Co. PumpingStation G


Laclede Gas Light Co. Pumping Station G Boundary MapSource: Sanborn Map Company. Vol. 5, plate 103, 1968.

CHOUTEAU AV.


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Station G National Register of Historic Places Application

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