The Pevely Dairy Company Plant was a former factory complex of the Pevely Dairy Company in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

, located at 1001 South Grand Boulevard and 3626 Chouteau Avenue. The eight-acre property included three

contributing building In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

s and one

contributing object In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distric ...

. While in operation, the plant operated as a dairy production facility, a stable for horses for wagon delivery of milk, the company's headquarters, and a

soda fountain A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated soft drinks, called fountain drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores. The device combines flavored syrup or syrup concentra ...

. The company itself was owned and operated by the Kerckhoff family from its founding in the 1880s through 1989, when it was bought by Prairie Farms Dairy. The building was one of the oldest independent dairies remaining in St. Louis. The oldest building on the site dates to 1915 and was located at the southwest corner of Grand Blvd. and Chouteau. Located at 1001 South Grand Blvd., it housed the offices for the company on four stories. The red brick office building has a three-bay facade on the first story, and inside it retained its white glazed brick walls and flooring. The upper floor roof line included a decorated cornice. In 1916, Pevely added a brick and concrete factory building on the site, located at 3626 Chouteau Avenue. The factory underwent expansions in 1943, 1945, 1975, 1985, and 1997; in addition, a garage was built south of the factory at 1101 Motard Avenue in 1928, and a

smokestack A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typ ...

on the site that dates to 1943 included glazed brick lettering that spells out ''Pevely''. In October 2008, Prairie Farms closed the factory, which was the last Pevely facility still in use. The property is currently vacant. In March 2009, a fire destroyed the ice cream factory building on the site. That same year, the complex was nominated and accepted to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. In August 2011, Saint Louis University purchased the site from Prairie Farms. Despite its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, Saint Louis University requested permission to demolish the entire complex in December 2011. The St. Louis Preservation Board initially denied the university permission to demolish all buildings on the site, but in February 2012, the city Planning Commission overturned the denial. Immediately prior to the vote, university President Lawrence Biondi threatened to close the

Saint Louis University School of Medicine Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a private, Jesuit medical school. Part of Saint Louis University, the institution was established in 1836. The school has an enrollment of around 700, with about 550 faculty members and 550 residents in ...

in the city and move its operations to St. Louis County if the denial were not overturned. In place of the complex, the university intends to construct a $75 million outpatient care center. Demolition of the plant began early April 2012. In September 2020, the newly constructed SSM St Louis University Hospital opened for patient care on the site of the former plant.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Agricultural buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Buildings and structures in St. Louis Saint Louis University Dairy products companies of the United States National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis 1915 establishments in Missouri Commercial buildings completed in 1915 Demolished buildings and structures in St. Louis