Sports Attic Building Destroyed in Fire Opened in 1900, Historian Says

At the time, it was one of the few businesses located on Manchester Road in Brentwood.

The Sports Attic building destroyed Friday in Brentwood by an early morning fire operated for more than 110 years as a tavern. The original building was constructed in 1900, said Dan Fitzgerald, president of the Brentwood Historical Society. "It was pretty small," Fitzgerald said. He didn't know who owned it or what the business was called. Back then, that stretch of Manchester Road didn't have much activity. It was "a one-of-a-kind place," he said. The Engelhard family bought the property in 1926, built an addition and lived there into the early 1970s. One of their daughters, Mary Engelhard Van Cleave, owned the building after that and raised her family there. She later sold the building to another owner who opened a tavern called the …

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Mary Lowe Awarded Century Home Plaque in Brentwood

The plaque recognizes the home's historical significance.

The Brentwood Historical Society issued its first Century Home plaque on this week. Mary Lowe, who lives at at 8913 Madge Avenue, was recognized for owning a home that is more than 100 years old. Dan Fitzgerald, the president of the historical society, awarded the plaque during the Brentwood Board of Aldermen meeting on Monday night. A smiling Lowe, who has lived in the home since 1961, accepted the plaque before saying a few words. "It's a wonderful home, and I thank you for this," Lowe said. To receive the plaque, Lowe needed to verify her home's age by obtaining a deed of trust from St. Louis County. "We learn some things about the history of Brentwood through reading the deed," Fitzgerald said. For example, the historical society …

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Brentwood Days Features Fun Rides, Local Booths

Free carnival rides, a petting zoo and cotton candy were only part of the fun.

The not-too-hot weather and mostly dry sky was perfect for this year's Brentwood Days held over the weekend at Brentwood Park. Thousands came from around the area. Other towns had their festivals the same time, but, according to at least one Brentwood native, "This one is the best."

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Brentwood Beginnings

Brentwood Owns Unusual Past

Brentwood once had a reputation for its road house.

As promised last week, I thought it would be fun to take a look at some of the unusual historical aspects of Brentwood. There are colorful time periods and lots of history in this city of ours, and I'd like to illuminate just a few interesting observations. I grabbed most of this information from the 75th anniversary edition of The Pulse, where Brentwood High School students interviewed older Brentwood residents. The rest is from The Brentwood Historical Society. A Reputation to Remember According to a February 2009 article by Harper Barnes in St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis had a reputation as a somewhat seedy city. In the 1870s, St. Louis was a booming river town at the end of the steamboat era. This may be one of the reasons for expansion…

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Pat Maloney (Wilken)

10:02 am on Friday, December 17, 2010

Brentwood did have a speed trap, in the 60's and 70's for sure. I remember sitting in a restaurant, about the same place that the Chinese restaurant is now, on Manchester, and watching the police stop people outside for speeding. This was after you came down the hill from Brentwood Blvd. and right before you went East into Maplewood, across HanleyRd. A few of us would stop there for coffee, and …   more ›

'Holiday Afternoon Tea' Draws Full House For Historical Society

On a snowy Sunday afternoon, residents trekked to a fundraiser to support the Brentwood Historical Society.

No one could have guessed from the full meeting room at the Brentwood Congregational United Church of Christ on Sunday that inches of snow blew around outside. The Brentwood Historical Society went right ahead with its scheduled Holiday Afternoon Tea fundraiser despite the wintry weather. "That's your Brentwood people, we're tough!" said Leon Golfin, a former Brentwood aldermen who attended the event with his wife Elaine and daughter Jane. The society functions as the keepers of Brentwood's history—gathering old yearbooks, The Pulse clippings and more. The organization held the fundraiser because it hopes to make some upgrades at its headquarters at the Barlow House on Rosalie Avenue. "We've pretty much left things the way they were when …

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Brentwood Beginnings

Brentwood Historical Society Records the Past

The Brentwood Historical Society functions as the keepers of Brentwood's history.

Picture a tidy little house on Rosalie Avenue in Brentwood. The Barlow House, as it's called, is the home to the Brentwood Historical Society. As I entered, it was a veritable beehive of activity. Plenty of folks—young and old—were busy cataloging, clipping and saving Brentwood's past, one piece at a time. Since 1985, the organization has been collecting photos, papers, articles, memorabilia and oral histories to keep the past alive for those who come after us. The collection includes numerous items that are available to those who come to see them. It has survived over four moves and countless Brentwoodians comings and goings. For those who stay, their mission is to document the history of Brentwood—both good times and bad—and create a …

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Bill McKenzie

6:24 pm on Thursday, December 16, 2010

I live across the street from the Barlow house, new home of the Brentwood Historical Society. Gladys Barlow, who lived in the house until several years ago liked to tell the story of when Babe Ruth "slapped her" in the face. Apparently Gladys was attending a baseball game between the St. Louis Browns and the New York Yankees at old Sportsman's Park on North Grand. She was sitting behind home …   more ›

Brentwood Beginnings

Brentwood's Past Meets Present

This new column will explore Brentwood's past. Please feel free to add your thoughts and ideas for future column topics in the comments.

Welcome to Brentwood Beginnings, a new column where I will examine how Brentwood's colorful past will affect its bright future. At the debut of this column, I thought it would be a good idea to explain what we're trying to do with the contents in the subsequent articles you'll find here about Brentwood. As a long-time "Brentwoodian" (is that what we are?), I find it comforting to know as much as I can about where we've been and what we've accomplished. In future articles, we'll be using the treasure trove of information from the Brentwood Historical Society to bring Brentwood's past to life. We'll also ask you for your thoughts and ideas regarding Brentwood's past. If you have an idea, question or concern, please don't hesitate to post a …

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Historical Society Starts Century Home Program

The Brentwood Historical Society is offering plaques to Brentwood residents who are proud of their old homes.

The Brentwood Historical Society is offering plaques to homes that are at least 100 years old as part of its Century Home Program. The organization began the program one month ago by hanging a plaque right outside its building's front door. The $100 fee to obtain a plaque covers the cost of its production. The society hasn't sold a plaque to a resident yet. Dan Fitzgerald, the president of the society, said there are about 40 to 45 homes that are more than one century old in the Brentwood area. "A lot of people who are interested in history sometimes are curious as to how old a house is," Fitzgerald said. "But it's mostly something to just show off your house and something to be proud of." To obtain a plaque, you must have a copy of …

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