3224 Locust is the site of the Cadillac Automobile Building built in 1919, a remnant of the once thriving midtown automotive district. Located on the corner of Locust and Leonard, its ornate four stories of terra cotta columns and detailed brickwork are a rare surviving example of Second Eqyptian Revival architecture, and has earned a place on the National Register.

In the late nineteenth and early twetieth centuries, St. Louis became a leading manufacturing center for automobiles. This was followed by the need for regional distribution centers, and with its extensive transportation systems and central location, St. Louis became a major hub for automotive sales with 76 dealers by the 1910s. In order to keep up with this expansion, The Cadillac Automobile Company of St. Louis commissioned Detroit architect William A. Balsh to design a new building to serve as warehouse and showroom. Cadillac enjoyed great success at 3224 Locust until 1930 when they moved their operations to 4100 Laclede. In 1932 L.M. Stewart, Inc., a Chrysler dealer, occupied the building and gave it a second life lasting through the 1940s.

The use of the Second Eqyptian Revival style usually designates a symbol of durability, even eternity. 3224 Locust is living up to that expectation, now reborn as a center for some of the most modern loft apartments in St. Louis and maybe your new luxurious home.