Town Hall

Armin Schwarz was born in Saxony, Germany on December 2, 1889. He immigrated to the United States in May of 1907 at the age of 17. Schwarz married his wife Anna Simon, a native of Missouri, in 1910. They lived in St. Louis, where Schwarz was employed as a baker.

The Schwarz' had four children – Emma, Armin, Jr., Mary Ann and Carlos. Then, in September of 1924, Anna Schwarz died at the age of 32.
 

Armin, Anna, Emma & Armin, Jr. Schwarz
1922 Passport Photo

Schwarz remarried soon thereafter. His second wife, Elfrieda, was 16 years his junior and the daughter of Thomas J. Wotka, who owned a bakery at 6403 Clayton Road. Schwarz had three sons with Elfrieda – Russell, Herbert and Richard. By 1932, Schwarz and Elfrieda operated a bakery shop at 1718 Tower Grove Avenue.
 

Elfrieda Schwarz exhibits Easter display at Baker's Convention
St. Louis Star & Times, Feb 12, 1932

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On November 8, 1939, the Esquire Theater opened at 6706 Clayton Road with an elaborate gala dedication.

In making its formal debut tonight, the Esquire Theatre fulfills a long-felt need on the part of St. Louis County for a deluxe show place in the Clayton road and Big Bend boulevard intersection.

Situated as it is, at the busiest intersection in the state of Missouri, the theater is expected to become the hub around which the affairs of the community will rotate.

Its contribution to the people of greater St. Louis, in further fulfilling their entertainment needs, has received wide civic approval and comment.

The formal opening this evening will bring to a close the planning and thought which have been expanded during the past year to make possible the erection of the "Theater of Tomorrow."

St. Louis Star & Times, Nov 8 1939

Earlier the same year, William Schmidt, whose Schmidt Planing Mill was involved in the construction of the Esquire, built a restaurant just west of the theater at 6736 Clayton Road. The restaurant was named Town Hall.
 

St. Louis Star & Times, Nov 8, 1939

William Schmidt was in the building trade; he had no background in restauranting. It's likely his venture just up the street from the Esquire was speculative, understanding the value theater traffic would bring to a restaurant. And, indeed, by 1940, Armin Schwarz and his wife Elfrieda owned and operated Town Hall, creating one of the most popular family-style restaurants of the day.

In addition to theater traffic, Town Hall was popular with workers in nearby office buildings and students at Washington University. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were available in the main dining room and groups of all kind reserved the restaurant's Rathskeller for various functions.
 

Town Hall Main Dining Room
St. Louis Post Dispatch, May 6, 1956
 
Town Hall Rathskeller
St. Louis Post Dispatch, Nov 28, 1940

Among the favorite dishes at Town Hall were the chicken pot pie, fried chicken and sauerbraten. The menu also included "pedigreed hot dogs" in cardboard kennels.

A Tuesday night special was the onion cake (zwiebelkuchen). This hot appetizer had its origin in the inns and beer halls of South Germany. Made of sautéed onions on a base of rye dough, and highly seasoned, it was a suitable companion for beer and cocktails. Town Hall's onion cake recipe had been in Armin Schwarz's family for generations.
 

Town Hall Menu, Early 1940s
(click image to enlarge)
 
Town Hall Menu, 1964
(click image to enlarge)

On August 27, 1964, while vacationing in Germany, Armin Schwarz suffered a fatal heart attack. He was 75 years old. His daughter, Mary Ann Blum, took over management of the restaurant, with the help of her brothers.

But Schwarz's children only operated his restaurant for another seven-plus years. In March of 1972, the Town Hall restaurant closed its doors.

"Young people would meet at Town Hall, later marry and then later bring in their children," said Blum. "People who left town would often come in when they came back to visit. It was rather like a family. I’m going to miss our customers."

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Mary Ann Blum went on to work for many years at the Lake Forest Pastry Shop. Her brother Herb opened Charlotte’s Rib on Manchester Road, along with his wife Pat.

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John Ruprecht was the manager at Town Hall for 12 years before it closed. In 1972, he opened his own restaurant on the ground floor of the Dorchester Apartments at 665 South Skinker, and called it John's Town Hall. The restaurant closed in 2010, upon Ruprecht's death.

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The space west of the Esquire Theater remained a good spot for a before or after-movie bite to eat. When the Town Hall closed in 1972, The Ground Round restaurant took its place.


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