Ivanhoe Ave. between Fyler and Arsenal has been a busy commercial center for the Lindenwood Park Neighborhood since its earliest beginnings in the 1920’s. This part of Lindenwood Park Neighborhood has a historic “American Main Street” feel and is also known as “Downtown Ivanhoe” or “Main Street Ivanhoe” to many residents of south Saint Louis City.
Today the Ivanhoe Business District is home to many St. Louis favorite business such as a few neighborhood bars, a farm-to-table restaurant, a pizzeria (where they still throw the doughs), an Italian/Greek Gyro deli, a famous rock-n-roll guitar shop, a local south city computer repair store, an art gallery, two churches, and many other great service businesses.
Some wonderful neighborhood history has been documented and archived at the St. Louis Library about the Ivanhoe Business District. Thanks to the efforts of Rosalie Heuing of Epiphany Parish, we have a snapshot of this vital area circa 1935.
See if you recognize these businesses:
Ivanhoe between Smiley and Scanlan
North Side
Epiphany Catholic Church
Barnes Restaurant
Ferlisi’s Shoe Repair
Gutman Dry Goods Store
South Side
Ivanhoe Cleaners
Posie’s Gas Station
Ivanhoe between Scanlan and Bradley
North Side
Schlobohm’ Bakery
Vortlein’s Grocery Store
Harrison Radio and Appliance Repair
Ivanhoe Shoe Repair
Plax Shoe Store
A.G. Grocery
Ben Franklin 5 & Dime
Bob Taylor’s Tavern
Elschinger’s Confectionery
Dry Cleaner’s
Velvet Freeze
A.P. Grocery
Reichmuth Hardware Store
Bisswell Dry Goods
Kroger Grocery
Borneman’s Barber Shop
John Rolling’s Barber Shop
(Second Floor housed offices for Dr. Cappel, M.D. and Dr. Mosley, Dentist)
Ivanhoe Show
Sweet Shop
South Side
HeinzPeter Drug Store
(Second Floor housed offices for Dr. Wilcox, and Dr. Paasch, Dentist)
Flentghen’s Auto Supply
Ivanhoe between Bradley and Fyler
North Side
Homes
Baers Jewelry
Northwest Corner of Ivanhoe and Bradley
Ivanhoe Theatre
The older folks in the neighborhood called it The FIT. Although it’s actually on Ivanhoe and Bradley, maybe they called it the FIT because the bus line was the Fyler/Ivanhoe line. There is an apartment building there now. Across the street is an antique store, May’s Place.
The Ivanhoe was built in 1925 and closed in 1960. It was demolished in 1965. It was only an “Art” theatre for less than a year between 1959 and 1960 up until its closing. Seating capacity was 690.
South Side
Margie Lou Beauty Shop
Fischer’s Barber Shop
When I interviewed older residents of the Lindenwood Neighborhood to capture their memories, everyone spoke of the number of corner markets which existed in the neighborhood.
Most people did not have cars. It was important for them to be able to walk to the corner store for their groceries.
Another common memory was of the Ivanhoe Theater at the northwest corner of Bradley and Ivanhoe. The theater had louvered sides which could be opened in the summer to keep patrons cooler.
No air conditioning existed to make those hot St. Louis summers more bearable. You could hear the soundtrack from the movie when you were standing outside.