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.
