Sublunar Photography

This mansion was owned by a family that was to be an integral part of Saint Louis industry well into the 20th century. Mark Kerckhoff was a German immigrant who started a butter delivery route to Saint Louis in 1887, to which he would later add mil and with that, Pevely Dairy was born. They later won the dairy concession at the 1904 World's Fair in Saint louis from which point the business took off. Sometime around 1915, they began construction on the renowned Pevely Dairy Plant with the iconic sign that stood for nearly 100 years on Chouteau avenue. The massive Pevely Dairy Farm stood on the same property as this mansion, just a short walk away.

The reign of Pevely as the king of Saint Louis dairy products would end, however when the business was bought out and the original location shut down. Everything that once bore the Pevely Dairy name is now demolished.

This farm was the oldest and largest of its kind, from the time of its founding in 1887, to the time it was sold to Prairie Farms in 1989. Throughout this period, the farm remained under control of the original family. The 1989 acquisition by Prairie Farms provided an additional $60 million of annual revenue for the company.

The founding member of Pevely Dairy arrived in the Saint Louis area in 1841 and went to work creating the first business of this kind west of the Mississippi. In the early 1880s, they expanded their market from the rural area they served into Saint Louis city. They were eventually awarded contract to be the sole provider of their product at the 1904 World's Fair. They would go on to construct the landmark Pevely Dairy plant in Saint Louis in 1917. The delivery of their product was accomplished by horse-drawn wagons and they would eventually have over 350 routes and even employed zebras in some cases.

The farm was abandoned by 1989 at the time the company was sold. The family's mansion remains nearby, abandoned as well (edit: they are both now demolished).

The Ballroom Hotel was at one time the largest and most well-known hotel in the area throughout the first half of the 20th Century. It was hurriedly constructed in the early 1900's to assist in accomodating the 19.7 million guests who would attend the World's Fair.

Please see my latest post here for the history of this location as well as historic photos and photos from the most recent visit.