Cast-iron and brick warehouses from the 1870s fill Laclede's Landing, a nine-block district on the northern riverfront. The cast-iron and brick warehouses here date primarily from the 1870s through the 1890s, when St. Louis was one of the largest cities in the United States — briefly the fourth largest, in fact, by the 1870 census. These warehouses stored everything that passed through the nation's interior: tobacco, cotton, grain, furs, manufactured goods from the East, raw materials heading back.
The area fell into decline through much of the 20th century as rail superseded river commerce and the riverfront became more industrial than commercial. In the 1970s and '80s, the Landing was redeveloped into an entertainment district — bars, restaurants, music venues — capitalizing on the historic architecture. Look up at the facades: you'll see elaborate brickwork, cast-iron pilasters, and arched windows that speak to an era when American industrial buildings were designed to impress as well as to function.
The cobblestones underfoot are original, worn smooth by a century and a half of foot traffic, wagon wheels, and more recently, tourist shoes.