Not abandoned, but cool

[Nicotti]

Kept seeing an old wooden wall next to 55 on my way home from work. Thought maybe it was something abandoned.

Turns out it's part of the City's FBI shooting range.

[Chris]

When I used to live in South City (on Dover St) you could sometimes hear them shooting there.

[Whitepanther]

That shooting range is not only cool it’s also the original site of The Workhouse. Today on Hall Street where the medium security jail is what the city calls MSI in official records. Somehow the workhouse name followed it there but not sure how. At the old site inmates spent their days mining limestone blocks and crushing limestone into gravel for the streets department.

http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm/compoundobjec ... ts/id/3231

http://collections.mohistory.org/resource/157869

[Whitepanther]

http://cdm.sos.mo.gov/cdm/compoundobjec ... ts/id/3231

Plate 20 is where it’s at.

[Nicotti]

That is cool!

Comparing the plates to Google Maps, looks like 55 goes through the location of the workhouse buildings except the small building on the west side of the parcel, that looks to have been around the south edge of the Hardee's parking lot. The shooting range looks like it would sit roughly ne of the Jefferson & Charlton intersection with the current building just south of the range being in Charlton St. The field ne from the range appears to be the area marked as the quarry.

[Whitepanther]

That is cool!

Comparing the plates to Google Maps, looks like 55 goes through the location of the workhouse buildings except the small building on the west side of the parcel, that looks to have been around the south edge of the Hardee's parking lot. The shooting range looks like it would sit roughly ne of the Jefferson & Charlton intersection with the current building just south of the range being in Charlton St. The field ne from the range appears to be the area marked as the quarry.

Based on the drawing I’d agree with you. I’ve never seen the gun range up close. But MHS has other pics of that quarry and it appeared to be massive at one time. I’ve heard it was a city PD range. Never knew it was FBI’s. Wonder if it traded hands at some point.

[Nicotti]

Well the land's owned by the city so it may just be a shared thing?

[Whitepanther]

Not sure when it comes to land like this. It seems like anytime a building is owned by city state or federal Gov it never seems to end up being private property again. They keep repurposing buildings like the old records center. Goodfellow installation is another example. I’m sure the same will happen with defense mapping which used to be the Arsenal. Fort Bellefountain predates the Arsenal and it’s never gonna be for sale either. That’s the depressing part about abandonment. One side of me loves it (opportunity to explore). The other side of me thinks it’s a shame (economic impact). I guess it can be both at once.

[Nicotti]

At the old site inmates spent their days mining limestone blocks and crushing limestone into gravel for the streets department.

One of the old pictures says the rock was for macadam streets.

[Whitepanther]

Not currently standing but cool.

Wenger Brewery
https://mohistory.org/collections/item/resource:155175