Home of the Friendless

Charless Place

The former Home of the Friendless, now called Charless Place, utilized historic tax credits to rehabilitate a senior housing complex comprised of eleven separate sections and additions constructed between c. 1850 and 1995. The developer successfully listed the property on the National Register for its significance as a charitable institution that cared for senior citizens in St. Louis for nearly 160 years. The continued use as affordable senior housing was an appropriate use of the then-vacant complex. Rehabilitated spaces created new apartments lining historic double-loaded corridors. In addition to retaining the primary form and corridors, the rehab retained public spaces such as sunrooms, a library, the main lobby from the original 1850s section, and the 1960s chapel space. Smaller details like early-twentieth century screen doors on apartment doors maintain the building’s character as a multi-family residential complex with interior entries.