artifacts essay final

7/31/2019 Artifacts Essay Final

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Brittany Gray

Dr. Torrusio

04/30/12

Hon. 3100-003

Artifacts Essay

A Walk to Remember

Winner describes two ways in which artifacts can have politics. The first is

how the invention, design, or arrangement of artifacts or the larger system

becomes a mechanism for settling the affairs of a community. The once

completely dilapidated, but recently turned popular hot spot Washington Avenue

section of the downtown community is proof of the political implication of being

an artifact. Washington Avenue is in fact a political artifact and has played an

influential role in the resurgence of the downtown St. Louis area with its own

redemption.

The Washington Avenue Historical District is commonly referred to as

Washington Avenue. Most of the buildings that surround Washington Avenue

were originally built between the late 19th century and the 1920s. The majority of

the buildings are large multi-story brick and stone constructions that exhibit a

variety of popular architectural styles of those eras. The area served as a

warehouse district for the St. Louis garment district. After World War II, the

garment production industry declined severely leaving the buildings vacant. After

the buildings in the area became available, the newfound preference for single-

story industrial space kept the towering buildings unused and obsolete. Over


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time, the structures and the area became dilapidated. After taking into

consideration the history, culture, and age of Washington Avenue, it is clear that

it qualifies as an artifact.

Washington Avenue was resurrected using government funds and

programs; this shows its ties to politics in St. Louis. The Washington Avenue

area finally began to experience some revitalization in the 1990s. In 1998,

Missouris government adopted a tax credit for the redevelopment of historic

buildings. This tax credit made it financially possible for to accomplish large-

scale renovation. Local and national developers acquired many of the buildings

along Washington Avenue and in other parts of downtown St. Louis for this

purpose. Many of the edifices have been restored and rehabilitated into loft-style

condominiums and apartments. The others have been transformed into

restaurants, nightclubs, bars, lounges, boutiques, theaters, bowling alleys, and

many other trendy hangouts.

If you have never been to Washington Avenue, it is one of the most

frequented weekend hot spots in downtown St. Louis. Its located close to

everything popular downtown: the Arch, Busch Stadium, Americas Center,

Lacledes Landing, Scottrade Center, Edward Jones Dome, etc. This makes

Washington Avenue an opportune place to hang out or grab a bite to eat before

or after other activities in the city. It is especially a place to visit after other

events, since the nightlife is so prevalent. There are so many bars, nightclubs,

and lounges conveniently located together one street; Washington Ave provides

a wide range of options to satisfy everyone from casual to upscale ambiances.


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Washington Avenue has been so successful that it is still growing to this

day. The Mercantile Exchange is essentially an all inclusive strip mall at the

intersection of Washington Avenue and North 7thStreet, near the Americas

Center. It hasnt been completed yet, but they are hoping to have it finished by

this summer. It will contain restaurants, shopping, a movie theater, and venues

for various events. Once they are ready to open they will have Pi Pizzeria,

Snarfs Sandwiches, Takaya New Asian, Robust Wine Bar and Caf, and a large

Macys. The Mercantile Exchange is also working on raising money to further

their progress on the National Blues Museum. This museum will be in honor of

the spiritual and emotional ballad style of music, rather than St. Louis popular

hockey team (I know you were thinking it!). The Mercantile Exchange also

contains the Laurel Apartments. These apartments are very eco-friendly and

have an electric vehicle charging station that is open to residents and non-

residents alike.

Downtown St. Louis and Washington Avenue have been growing and

improving, especially in the last decade. It seems to me that the renovations of

Washington Avenue are the root of the resurgence of downtown. After

Washington Avenue made its first resurrection, downtown St. Louis experienced

their first population growth in 40 years. Some people may say that this is a

coincidence, but I believe not. Most other areas within the City of St. Louis have

not been upgraded as extensively as Washington Avenue has. There are also

more residential units on Washington Avenue than anywhere else that I can think

of in all of St. Louis. The multi-story buildings that make up Washington Avenue


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are perfect for housing units. In most of the structures the bottom floor houses a

shop, eating and drinking establishment, or another type of business, while the

upper floors are used as condominiums or apartments. Almost all of the

businesses along Washington Avenue use the higher levels as housing units.

The convenience of living close to so many shops and restaurants as well as

many of the major downtown attractions draw people in by the droves.

Since Washington Avenue does have such a bustling nightlife

atmosphere, police presence had to be increased to accommodate the people

who get drunk or out of control. There are several cops policing the area on foot

discouraging any would-be criminal activities. Bicycle policemen also patrol

Washington Avenue and help with traffic problems when necessary. This area is

most often regulated by St. Louis City police officers.

Washington Avenue regulates what is done with the buildings along that

area. The only way that I can think of for the area to have some control over its

citizens would require referring back to Jane Jacobs The Uses of Sidewalks:

Safety. In this essay, Jacobs discusses how popular city streets can be made

safe by proprietors keeping a watchful eye on the activity on the streets. Since it

is such a busy area, there is definitely plenty to keep someone busy while

watching over it. Even before more policemen were added to survey Washington

Avenue, the incident rates were fairly low. The main reasons that more cops

were called in were single more significant incidents. The instances have

decreased since as most people flock to the area in search of entertainment and

celebration of life.


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Washington Avenue is a new age progressive area for young people. It

fosters the celebration of everything from graduations to birthdays to

anniversaries to the end of the workweek. Its a place for the future leaders of St.

Louis to rally around a focal point that stands for progress in their city. It shows

everyone that St. Louis is and continues to be rebuilding. The atmosphere

attracts the younger crowds, as it is more of a partying area. However, I believe

that people of all ages can and should celebrate the landmark that Washington

Avenue has become. Even with an economy that was in a recession, this area

was still growing, bustling, and doing very well financially.

Washington Avenue is a political artifact. I have shown that from its

government funding and rich history. Some people may find it ironic that this

area, which is old and rich in culture, actually attracts the younger generations

rather than the older ones. No matter who or what Washington Avenue appeals

to, it is still remarkable. This area has gone through tremendous transformations

at remarkable times, and still managed to come out on top. It was a dilapidated

area that received a second chance and became even more useful that it used to

be. If that is not something to commend, I honestly do not know what is.


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Bibliography

"News and Events." Mercantile Exchange. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

.

"Highlights of Washington Avenue, St. Louis." Real Estate Properties. Web. 16 Apr.

2012. .

Lehtinen, Merja. "St. Louis, City on the Rebound, Willing to Try." Civil Engineering -

ASCE51.7 (1981): 78-80. ASCE. Web. 16 Apr. 2012.

Hurley, Andrew. Beyond Preservation: Using Public History to Revitalize Inner

Cities. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2010. Project MUSE. Web. 16 Apr.

2012. .

Jacobs, Jane. "The Uses of Sidewalks: Safety." The Death and Life of Great American

Cities. New York: Random House, 1961. 106-11. Google Documents. Web. 20

Apr. 2012.

Winner, Langdon. "Do Artifacts Have Politics?" Daedalus1st ser. 109 (1980). Google

Documents. Web. 20 Apr. 2012.