St. Louis Hills:  A History of Our Community

The history of St. Louis Hills, developed from 1930-1950's, is relatively short by the city's beginnings in 1763.  The land which became St. Louis Hills dates back to deeds granted to pioneer French colonists Madame Ann Camp and Anton Reihle in 1768 by one founder of the Village of St. Louis, Pierre Laclede.  AT the time, the land included 2,471 acres.  Camp and Reihle's heirs sold the land to George C. Clarke, who gave it to two sons.  When the Village was chartered as the City of St. Louis in 1836, St. Louis Hills was still remote, open and forested land, and essentially remained so until the early 1930's.  In 1876, when the county and city of St. Louis divided responsibilities, the western boundary of St. Louis City was set just west of the River des Peres (River of the Fathers).  Even then, what is now St. Louis Hills, was still open land.

David Rowland Francis, Governor of the state from 1889-1893, became owner of part of the property in 1884 on which he established his vast farm.  At the turn of the century, David R. Francis was President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition from 1889 until its opening in 1904.  Francis originally considered use of his farmland as a site for the World's Fair, but logistics of transportation and construction to Francis' land persuaded use of Forest Park as the now famous 1904 World's Fair site.  Francis was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Russia in 1916.  The next year, Francis made a gift of the land to the city, and so it was named Francis Park.  David Rowland Francis died January 15, 1927.

Cyrus Crane Willmore, for whom the neighborhood's second park is named, became the visionary developer of the St. Louis Hills 700 acre neighborhood.  He came to St. Louis in 1912 after graduation from the University of Illinois law school, and worked for a realty firm until 1922 when he formed his own company.  Willmore's intentions for the area were clear from the beginning: tree lined residential streets for families and single persons, churches and schools throughout, bordered on three sides by developing businesses, and open green spaces in parks.

Names of streets within the neighborhood, as well as early development architecture, reflect Willmore's English heritage -- Nottingham Avenue, Devonshire Avenue, Tamm Avenue to name a few.  Eichelberger Street, a main east-west roadway through the center of St. Louis Hills, was originally named Clarke Road for George C. Clarke.  Mature trees lining streets throughout the area are predominantly oak, maple, poplar, with birch trees along Francis Park.

                                                  St. Louis HIlls:  Location

St. Louis Hills is situated in the southwest area of the City of St. Louis, Missouri.  The boundaries for the neighborhood are Hampton Avenue on the east and south, Chippewa Street for the north, and the River des Peres on the west.  St. Louis Hills still holds distinction as the last, large subdivision created in the city.  The curb appeal of residences are but invitation to a closer view of the unique charm and individuality of each building.  Low crime incidences reflect commitment of neighbors working with city police to provide a safe environment in which to live, work, and recreate.  St. Louis Hills is proud to be a part of the St. Louis Metropolis Police Second District and home to the Buder Branch of the St. Louis Public Library.  Another of the many great assets of the neighborhood is close proximity to major highways (Interstates 44 and 55), and other arteries making time-saving commutes from home in, around, and outside of Metropolitan St. Louis.

                                                           Ascension Lutheran Church
                                                           Hope United Church of Christ
                                                           Trinity Christian Center
                                                           St. Andrew's Presbyterian
                                                           St. Gabriel Archangel
                                                           St. Mark's Episcopalian
                                                           St. Raphael Archangel
                                                           St. Thomas Orthodox

                                St. Louis Hills Parks

Francis Park -- 60.3 Acre Site

Francis Park is bounded by Nottingham Avenue on the north, Eichelberger Street on the south, Tamm Avenue to the east, and Donovan Avenue on the west. It includes 60.30 acres of land, basically situated at the north central area of St. Louis Hills. Mr. David Rowland Francis made a gift of this park to the City of St. Louis in 1917.

Funds made available in 1935 enabled improvement of the park by the Work Progress Administration (WPA) workers during and after the depression. They built the athletic fields, tennis courts, shelter house, walkways, picnic grounds and landscaping.

Features of Francis Park are 2 comfort stations, 2 handball courts, 1 lily pond, 1 playground, 2 racquetball courts, 1 each soccer and softball field, and 8 tennis courts.

The St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association sponsors three special events in Francis Park each year. Run For The Hills, which is held in the fall, the Easter Egg Hunt, usually held the weekend before Easter and the Christmas Tree Lighting on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.




Francine the Mermaid, new resident of the Francis Park Lily Pond, was unveiled on July 23, 2002. Inspired by the People Project statues, Ann Layton worked with artist Robin Murez to make Francine a beautiful reality for Francis Park. Financially, Francine was made possible through the generosity of 26 St. Louis Hills donors.





Willmore Park -- 105 Acre Site

Willmore Park boundaries are Hampton Avenue on the south, a residential area on the north, Jamieson Avenue to the east, and the River des Peres on the west. It is the last major park to be developed in the City of St. Louis, created in 1947. St. Louis Hills Developer Cyrus Crane Willmore (1889-1949) donated 70 of the park's 105 acres to the city.

Funds from the 1955 Bond Issue developed the park as it is today. Capitol Improvement monies were used after the Great Flood of 1993 to reclaim some of the park overtaken by backwater from the River des Peres and lake overflow.

Willmore Park includes: Lake #1 (5 acres of stocked water), Lake #2 (3 acres of stocked water), 2 baseball fields, 1 bike trail, 3 comfort stations, 4 cork ball backstops, 2 playgrounds, 5 picnic shelters, 2 soccer fields (1 lighted), 4 softball fields (2 lighted), and 4 lighted tennis courts.

                                           St. Louis Hills Architecture

Just as prospective homebuyers are attracted to St. Louis Hills for its lovely parks and beautifully landscaped yards so, too, are they drawn to its architecture.  From the gingerbread bungalows to the stately 2-stores to the sprawling ranches, St. Louis Hills residences are a study in contrasts and choices.  The clearest divisions in architectural styles can be seen by examining the areas to the north and to the south of Eichelberger Street, which basically divides the area into St. Louis Hills and St. Louis Estates.

North of Eichelberger Street one finds houses, duplexes and apartment buildings, many built in the 1930's and 1940's strongly influenced by the art deco style.  Hardwood floors, stained glass (often with southwestern motifs), elegant stone work, glass block trim, casement and circular windows, and zigzag brick patterns characterize these structures.  Slate or tile roofs, once mandatory, but prohibitively expensive to replace, have in a few places been replaced by shingles.

In the 6300 block of Bancroft Avenue a row of bungalows dubbed Hansel and Gretel houses faces well-maintained four family apartment buildings.  All were built in the 1930's and share many of the art deco features.  On Nottingham Avenue, closer to Francis Park, is one of the Hills' architectural landmarks, the Vedder apartment building.  Rich in art deco details it boasts curved corners, casement and circular windows, and complicated brick works.  What makes it particularly special is that all six units have penthouses.

The homes and apartments surrounding Francis Park typify much of the rest of the neighborhood.  On Nottingham Avenue, North of the park, it is easy to find examples of the pothole windows, zigzag brick and glass block trim in the two and multi-families which have been lovingly maintained over the years.

East and west of the park stately 1.5 and 2 story homes line Tamm and Donovan Avenues.  No two are alike.  One Regency style home facing the park on Tamm was featured in a 1936 edition of McCall's magazine, as were several others in the Hills.  Just west of the park on Itaska Street stands one of the neighborhood's most unusual art deco homes, an eight-sided house, each whose sides differs in length.

South of Francis Park, the architecture changes dramatically.  Here there are primarily brick ranch homes, a style that became popular after World War II.  Developer Willmore designated the area as St. Louis Hills Estates.  The homes range from compact 2-bedroom homes to elegant, sprawling homes perfect for executive entertaining.

For those who prefer the style of suburban homes, but choose to live in the city, St. Louis Hills Estates is the perfect location.  Many of the larger ranches and 1.5 story homes sit on huge lots that afford ample room for in-ground pools, which several of these homeowners have added.  Nearly all of them have attached one or two-car garages and most have main floor family rooms.  Since only ornamental fences are permitted in the Estates, the feeling there is one of wide-open spaces.

Although many prospective home owners come to St. Louis Hills seeking its classic Tudors and colonials with their abundant stained glass and ornamental brick and stone work, this neighborhood boasts such a wide variety of architecture that it will appeal to nearly any preference and need.  St. Louis Hills is a community rich in architectural history and detail.

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