A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes

The first biography of an unsung St. Louis builder.

Though few people in contemporary St. Louis likely know his name, it's indisputable that builder A. A. Fischer left an indelible mark on the city's residential architecture. Between 1894 and 1929, Fischer was responsible for the construction of more than three hundred houses and apartment buildings in St. Louis and nearby University City, Missouri. His trademark was the broken frieze, whose wreaths and swags descend into the spaces between the upper-story windows, rather than extending straight across the façade below the cornice, as is traditional. Today, you can still see homes and commercial buildings across the St. Louis area bearing Fischer's trademark.

A. A. Fischer's St. Louis Streetscapes is the first biography of this unsung urban builder. Nancy Moore Hamilton delves into Fischer's life and work, exploring not only his prolific construction career but also his other related business ventures, dabbling in speculation, buying and selling real estate, and producing architectural plans. Featuring more than four hundred images and a full-color fold-out map showing all of Fischer's homes, this book is sure to bring attention to a builder who quietly shaped a midwestern metropolis.