A photo taken in about 1915 on Locust Street in downtown St. Louis appears to show the impossible: The Ely Walker building situated an entire block out of place.

Anyone familiar with downtown knows that the Ely Walker dry goods building is on Washington Avenue, a block north of Locust. So what Locust Street building with the Ely Walker window sign is in the photograph taken about 112 years ago? Answer: The Ely Walker building.

Huh?

The Ely Walker on Washington is one of three built for the dry goods company to the designs of Eames & Young, a respected St. Louis architecture firm. The Washington Avenue Ely Walker, filled now with loft apartments, went up first, followed by two annex buildings on Locust. All three were nearly identical in appearance.

A dentist, Dr. William Swekosky, took the photo that shows Locust east of 16th Street. One of the Ely Walker annexes is at the left of the photo. In the distance is the Hotel Jefferson. Also visible is the YWCA, now the Rev. Larry Rice's New Life Evangelistic Center.