Sawhorse Recording Studios, in St. Louis’ South City Dutchtown neighborhood, is one of the area’s top recording & mixing facilities known for its superb blend of state of the art and vintage equipment. Since 2005, Sawhorse Recording Studios has continued the tradition of technical expertise and excellent service founded by Jason McEntire in 1996. With two studios capable of meeting the needs of the industry's most discerning clientele, Sawhorse Recording Studios features a seasoned, dedicated owner/engineer as well as the ability to draw from a diverse pool of highly qualified engineers, producers & musicians. Additionally, the Studio's support staff takes pride in anticipating and exceeding clients' needs with professionalism and discretion. Recent highlights from the Studio's credits include clients like Ludo (Island/Def Jam), Ha Ha Tonka (Bloodshot), Son Volt (Transmit Sound/Legacy), Steven Haiglar (The Pixies, Fuel) Chris Testa (Jimmy Eat World, The Dixie Chicks).
The Carondelet Historical Society was founded in 1967 with 353 charter members, active citizens and community leaders who shared a common interest in perpetuating the heritage of their remarkable community. Before it was a south-city neighborhood, Carondelet developed in parallel with St. Louis; it was an independent settlement founded in 1767 by French settler Clément Delor de Treget. Many notable events mark the history of Carondelet, from the transfer of the Louisiana Territory to the United States in 1804, to the sale of land that would become Jefferson Barracks to the US government, to the building of Union ironclads by James Eads during the Civil War; but perhaps most remarkable was the founding in 1873 of Des Peres School by Susan Blow (daughter of diplomat and congressman Henry Blow, whose family owned and was central in the trial and eventual liberation of Dred Scott). It was the first continuous public school kindergarten in the United States. It is in the former Des Peres School building that the Carondelet Historical Society has found its home. The building was purchased in 1981 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. There are several permanent exhibits in the Carondelet Historic Center. The Susan Blow Kindergarten Room is on the first floor; it is maintained as it appeared in the 19th Century and features “Fröbel’s Gifts,” pedagogical materials developed by the German creator of the kindergarten movement, Friedrich Fröbel. Encompassing the first floor hallway and both staircases is the Wall of Honor which honors Carondelet and other local veterans with individual photos. Service members honored range from the Civil War to present conflicts. The second floor houses the Cleveland High School Room, the Heritage Room (featuring furnishings from the 19th-early 20th centuries), and Memory Lane, a “Street of Stores” that features every imaginable consumer good, from toys to tools to an old-fashioned butcher shop. There are additionally numerous small exhibits throughout the building. Between its closure as a school in the 1930s and CHS’s occupancy, the building served a variety of functions, including as a dance hall, a restaurant and a market; these changing roles took a toll on the building’s condition. Funded entirely by members and friends, the Carondelet Historical Society has undertaken major renovations over the last three decades in order to restore the building to its original appearance (the inset photo was taken in 1876) and to present the heritage of historical Carondelet to visitors. Much of the work has been accomplished by skilled volunteer members, while construction has been awarded to local contractors. Several major projects have been completed in the new millennium: the opening of bricked-in windows (a phased project for which work and fundraising are ongoing), the construction of the Bouchein Library, a remodeling of the lower level, the addition of an elevator to serve all three levels of the building, and major technological and archival upgrades. Through a large donation by late member and former CHS president Lois Waninger, we are on the cusp of our next major project: the complete replacement of the roof.
Carondelet Community Betterment Federation, Inc. (CCBF), founded in 1971, strives to identify and improve the basic social, economic and educational needs of Carondelet through community outreach and collaborative efforts with various organizations to maximize efforts and strengthen the quality of life in Carondelet.