Thursday, November 10, 2011

Gateway Arch, St. Louis, Missouri

Gateway Arch and the Old Cathedral - The Old Cathedral, completed in 1834 of Greek Revival style, is framed by our tallest National Monument, 630 ft. high Gateway Arch.  The Arch, built from a prize winning design of the late Eero Saarinen, is in the form of an inverted catenary curve, graceful from all points of view, harmonizing with classic and contemporary architecture of St. Louis' historic riverfront. - postmarked in 1992 with 19 cent balloon stamp
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Tallest Man-Made Monument, Gateway Arch

The Gateway Arch, in St. Louis, memorializes the national expansion that took place under President Thomas Jefferson.  Completed in 1965, the arch spans 630 feet and rises to the same height; it was built to withstand earthquakes and high winds.

From the Set:
Wonders of America
Coloring Postcards
unused, has matching stamp attached to back - from 2006
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 St. Louis
Missouri
St. Louis is a city with much to offer.  Its famous attraction, the Gateway Memorial Arch, was built in the early 1960's and stands 630 feet tall.

Photo: John Elk III
postmarked in 2008 with a USA 'Liberty Bell - Forever Stamp'

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The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States. At 630 feet (192 m), it is the tallest man-made monument in the United States and Missouri's tallest accessible building.

Located on the west bank of the Mississippi River, the arch was designed by Finnish American architect Eero Saarinen and structural engineer Hannskarl Bandel in 1947. Construction began on February 12, 1963, and ended on October 28, 1965, costing US$13 million at the time ($90,491,005 today). The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967.

There are three modes of transportation up the arch: two sets of 1,076-step emergency stairs (one in each leg), an elevator to the 300-foot (91 m) height, and a tram in each leg.

Currently, the Gateway Arch is one of the most visited tourist attractions in the world with over four million visitors annually, out of which around one million travel to the top. The arch was listed as a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1987, and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

 

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