history images Mound City on the Mississippi Home Page
image menu Buildings, Sites, and Objects People, Places, and Things Events, Incidents, and Occurrences Bibliography

structures


Name:  Sheldon Memorial
Address:  3648 Washington Boulevard
Architectural Firm/Architect:   Louis C. Spiering
Designation: City Landmark
History:
The St. Louis Ethical Society was organized in 1886 by Walter L. Sheldon and James Taussig. The society´s philanthropic work began in 1888, when free reading rooms and a kindergarten were opened. A self-culture hall was established at 18th and Washington Streets and, in 1895, the Sunday Ethical School was started.

Walter Sheldon (1858-1907) was one of the most eminent figures in the intellectual and cultural life of St. Louis. He was a graduate in philosophy of Princeton University and, after two years of post graduate study in Europe, he returned to New York and studied under Felix Adler, the founder of the Ethical Movement. Sheldon came to St. Louis in the early 1880s and established the local Ethical Society. He also became identified with the "St. Louis Movement" in philosophy allied with William Torrey Harris.

Sheldon Memorial Hall is renowned for its fine acoustics and was a favorite auditorium for recitals and concerts, as well as for meetings of the Ethical Society and civic groups. In 1964, the Society relocated to Clayton Road in St. Louis County.




People
Sheldon, Walter
Spiering, Louis C
Taussig, James


Reference
Guide to the Architecture of St. Louis


Sheldon Memorial
Sheldon Memorial

 

 

peoplestructureseventssourceshome
about historic preservationnew entries4 kids onlymap it!

This site was made possible by: the City of St. Louis Planning and Urban Design Agency and
the City of St. Louis Community Information Network.

This site was funded in part by Federal funds administered by the Missouri State Historical Preservation Office, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, The National Park Service, and the U.S. Department of the Interior.


Version 1.0