ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. (KMOX) - One of south St. Louis County's most historic structures could be coming down soon to make room for a new Quicktrip. The proposed site at the corner of Lemay Ferry and Butler Hill Roads is currently home to the century-old Kassebaum building.
It served as the home of Session Fixture Company for decades and is a historical landmark, as recognized by the county.
Tracy Williams, whose maiden name is Session, grew up in the building that her father worked in and she wishes she had the funds to restore it. However, the electrical, plumbing and structural problems make it unfeasible, she says. QT estimates it would take $3 million to renovate it.
As a nod to the building's history, QT says it would use the Kassebaum header at the top of the current structure as a memorial display outside the new gas station.
Preservation organization, NextSTL claims Quik Trip has a record of going after historic buildings. They're hoping "one of the few gems of human-scaled traditional development in south St. Louis County" can be saved from becoming a gas station.
"We've been tracking their behavior for several years, and well, we're not fans," says NextSTL interim senior editor.
He points out that there are three other gas stations nearby and plenty of vacant land to use instead.
August Kassebaum, the son of German immigrants, opened the building in 1913 as a general store for area farmers. He also served as tax collector and on the school board.
Bose says before the building can be demolished, a zoning change must first be approved by the St. Louis county planning commission. If anyone wants to try to save it, they should reach out to St. Louis County Council members.
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