The Sierra Club – Eastern Missouri Group signed a lease Tuesday for the space that for more than 50 years was Harper’s Pharmacy, at the south end of 2810 Sutton Boulevard. The office is currently at 7164 Manchester Avenue.
Sierra Club State organizer, Michael Berg, said the move will take place by June 1. Berg, another state staff member, and three national staffers currently downtown will all be in the new office.
He said the space is big enough for the group’s monthly meeting and for special events and speakers.
Berg said they’ve been looking for a new space for two years, and this one works because it’s ADA accessible and close to public transportation. Berg also likes the close proximity to restaurants.
He said they won’t need the cabinets left over from the pharmacy, and anyone interested in buying them should contact the Schlafly Corporation.
Maplewood historian and preservationist Doug Houser said Wednesday he’d rather find a creative solution that would allow the Sierra Club to occupy the space and use the cabinets without moving them from their original positions. He said he has some ideas and can “prevail upon some preservation-minded architects for ideas.
“I’m aware a compromise must be found, but the historic community here in Maplewood and beyond would suffer a grievous loss if the cabinets are removed,” Houser said.
Update: Building owner David Schlafly said in the comments following a Houser article on the cabinets that he plans to remove the cabinets, and implies they would be reused elsewhere. (Read Schlafly’s full comment.)
Houser recently wrote about Harper’s Pharmacy cabinetry, its history, and memorabilia and photos in 40 South News.
I was so excited to see the vacant space begin to have life again but then learning that something so beautiful and historic was not being utilize by a group for which much of their goals are based on preserving the environment, protecting the endangered, and educating the public on such issues. To find they do not realize the significance of such pieces is really disheartening and that the landlord did not make this part of his lease on preserving these cabinets in their “natural habitat” if you will is somewhat strange. These are such functional pieces it is hard to imagine that they cannot be used in some fashion. Please don’t remove something that once it is gone we can never get back. Isn’t that the motto of the Sierra Club in their wonderful goal to help the environment? Save what is almost gone?
I, like others was shocked to read that the Sierra Club, which I had admired, prefer to remove the beautiful wood cabinetry and history of the building and maplewood. Sorry, thought they were about PRESERVING the environment, how about preserving their new environment for the future. What about embracing and working within the beautiful space. Hoping David Schlafly understands that removing the cabinetry and selling it is not preserving the history of that building or Maplewood. As the owner of a historic building, I would have expected a little more responsibility in preserving the history especially when you’re talking about leasing the space. Eventually the Sierra club will move to a different location and the history and charm will be gone forever. If you’re really interested in art & culture as you list on your website David Schlafly, you won’t let that happen. What mark on you gonna leave? Choose preservation!
Extremely well stated, Kelly
I think that if a preservationist has a problem with an owner or tenant then they should discuss the issue with the involved parties before condemning them in a public forum. This is a basic tenet of civil discussion.
“This is a basic tenet of civil discussion.”
Can you direct me towards the handbook or other rulebook from which you draw this assumption? No one has been rude or uncivil towards the parties involved, and I find it rather galling of you to declare people inappropriate for expressing their opinions on an article that directly affects the city in which they live. Plus, you have no idea if phone calls haven’t already been exchanged in the past 24 hours between various individuals.
Are these cabinets really any bigger/better than cabinets a lot of people have in their houses? What am I missing?
These cabinets are bigger and better than the ones in most of our houses and historic on top of it. You might want to take a look at my post, “The Spectacular Cabinets of the Harper’s Pharmacy’ on this website.
From my perspective, it’s not about the size or grandeur of the cabinets (although they appear to be beautiful and on a large scale) but rather about the sense of historical place they bring to the building. The space has a meaningful story to tell, and by removing all traces of its past, we stand to lose a great deal. I would prefer to have owners and tenants who respect a building’s history and work within the parameters of what they have been given. If they just want a fully blank slate, I’m sure there are plenty of office buildings around the area with space that would accommodate whatever they want. I do think when you buy or lease a historical building, you take on a level of responsibility (maybe not legal but communal) to preserve and protect the structure you purchased.
Off the top of my head, I can think of numerous types of business that would value what the cabinets bring to the room, and honestly for the life of me, I can’t understand how the Sierra Club couldn’t use them. Don’t they need space for storing all their flyers and promotional material? They could design their office space around the cabinets and have a wonderful and unique space.
Any small scale, locally focused retail business would kill for those cabinets – think Penzey’s, Von Fass, any sort of coffee shop, etc. I don’t know if the cabinets in Winslow’s Home in U. City are original or not, but they have that same type of feel as Harper’s.
Well put, Jane. I appreciate yours and the sentiments expressed by all the other folks as well.
I am very disappointed by this turn of events and the fact that the owner Mr. Schlafly is also not supporting the preservation of the building’s history and character. If the cabinetry leaves the building, it is lost. It’s that simple. There’s no guarantee that the person or business who buys them will actually keep them or maintain them. Remember the Missouri winery that was going to use the stones from the Rock Hill church? It never happened. This is a common refrain with these types of things. This is the crucial moment, and I am sad to see that both the owner and the future tenant are failing to make the right decision. Obviously many of us have already noticed the irony that it is none other than the Sierra Club who is moving in and making us lose a part of our city’s history! It certainly affects my feelings both towards the owner and the Sierra Club and overall leaves a bad taste in my mouth as a citizen. What a shame and so unnecessary. I’d rather the building sit vacant for another 5-10 years than have this happen.
Totally agree with your comments. Very disappointed with Schlafly & Sierra if they don’t preserve this building & the rare beauty it still has. Come on guys! Think about what you are going to destroy from generations past, present & future. You’re holding history in your hands. You could turn this into something Maplewood would be proud of for another 100 years rather than dry wall………..
Sierra Club’s opening line says…..”committed to leaving our children a living legacy….” Guess that doesn’t mean historical roots that are in Harper’s Pharmacy space. Come on, you would rather spend the money in demo than find some use for these “living legacy cabinets”? They’re WOOD, beautiful, rare, & worth preserving for out children’s living legacy. I’m glad someone is going to use that building but for how long & at what cost if they destroy the beauty of it. I would join this club, but not if they are going to destroy that WOOD in those cabinets…….Come on Sierra….think, think, preserve the wood! Preserve nature’s beauty in those cabinets. I love looking in that building when I walk by. It’s a rare gem, it truly is, & needs preserving not demolition because you can’t think of a way to use the cabinets??? Gee, dry wall would be so much nicer……we could hang up flyers with stick pins…..If you want another Maplewood member(s), preserve those cabinets!
I was excited by the headline that the Sierra Club would be taking the space since they have high values of preservation……
THEN….. I realized that they do not wish to “preserve” the beauty of one of the heritage treasures of Maplewood. Somehow, it seems inconsistent and unfortunate that they are selective in their values of preservation. It’s a lot like clear cutting a beautiful forest for them to sanitize the space by clearing out the beautiful cabinetry. What an outrage. Shame on your Sierra Club.
Changes my opinion of the Sierra Club and not in a good way.
This is good news. It will be nice to have some more activity at that end of sutton.
Wow, that is extremely disappointing, especially after reading Doug Houser’s great posts on the building. It’s a shame the Sierra Clubs views to preserve and protect do not go beyond nature.
ditto, luke! get real Sierra Club!
It’s a real shame that the cabinetry can’t stay with the original building and be used and appreciated by the tenant.
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