Gorgeous Brickwork and Back on the Roof

This evening I was invited to The Deco Fortress for another rooftop soiree with my darlings Sarah Jane and Sam Meller. Ralph was there wearing one of Sam's City Renovators shirts.

I always marvel at the brickwork on the building next door and its wrought iron gate.

Sammy:

Ralph Meller:

And a sunset with sunbeams:

Crater Bricks - For Michael

I've covered this city extensively and thought I'd never encounter another intriguing brick. On a recent drive around TGS with Andrew I spied this building from his car and excitedly gasped, Look at those bricks!

Andrew laughed.

Please. Look at these bricks with their exceptional design and range of soft color. Was some of that clay imported? Most likely it was treated before being fired. And why haven't I encountered these bricks any place else in STL?

If you're a long time visitor here you know I invent names for bricks and these present as crater.

The building still retains the original stained black mortar with tiny flecks of feldspar and quartz and - gratefully - has not been repointed. Look closely and you'll see that some of the mortar had to be finger tooled into the 'craters' of the bricks.

The building counts as a Triple Arch Alert post.

For Michael who told me a fascinating story yesterday about the old tunnel under Sublette Ave.