Downtown St. Louis
Encyclopedia
Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri
, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front
to the east, Chouteau Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue
to the west. The downtown is the site of many corporate headquarters, including Stifel Nicolaus
, HOK
, Laclede Group, and a host of other companies.
chose to found the city on the bluffs because it had access to the river for trade and transportation, was above most floods and defensible against hostile Native Americans
. Laclede found the present-day downtown
area the perfect place to run a bustling fur trade
with the Native Americans of the region.
In the community's early days, Laclede acted as the de facto
leader of St. Louis. While the settlement was named after King Louis IX of France
, most residents called it "Laclede Village." Laclede planned the format of the city streets, and oversaw the construction of the settlement's first buildings. Although initial growth was slow, the settlement received a stimulus when France
surrendered all of its territorial holdings east of the Mississippi river
to Great Britain
after the Seven Years' War
. Many French colonists moved from east of the Mississippi River to St. Louis to escape British rule. By 1776 St. Louis had 300 residents and almost 75 buildings. By 1804 the population had tripled to 900, yet the village was still without a local government. After the Louisiana Purchase
of 1803, a flood of immigrants from the United States came to the village. As the newcomers established an American system of government, French influence and use of the French language began to wane, but the leading French colonial mercantile families continued to have power.
With the arrival of the steamboat
in 1817, St. Louis became a vital center of American commerce, able to trade goods from the Gulf of Mexico
across the country through the great river system connected by the Mississippi River
. By 1836 the City had 15,000 inhabitants, but it did not have basic institutions, such as banks, libraries or public schools. The downtown streets were being renamed after prominent American settlers. By the mid-19th century, the area was becoming more commercial than residential, and more people began to live in the western parts of the city. The commercial activity of St. Louis was centered on Main street (present-day First Street) Washington Avenue, and Walnut Street. The St. Louis Fire
of 1849 destroyed much of this district. In time the city recovered from the fire and regained its place as one of the commercial centers of the Midwest.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the St. Louis Downtown experienced a building boom, largely because of a lack of room for businesses to expand. In its heyday, the downtown was a bustling center of commerce. By the mid-20th century, the downtown area began to decline as businesses moved west and to the suburbs, and industries restructured. During the 1970s, owners razed dozens of historic buildings and replaced them with parking lots. Also, in 2004, the historic St. Louis Century Building
was demolished to create a parking deck. The present-day downtown has moved further south, yet the Historic downtown remains. Recent preservation efforts have heightened awareness of the architectural significance of the area.
Both major universities in St. Louis began in the downtown region. Saint Louis University
was founded in 1818 by Bishop DuBourg, who rented a stone house on Market Street to house its first class. The University was discontinued in 1826 because of Bishop DuBourg's pastoral duties, but the institution was rejuvenated two years later by Father Van Quickenborne. The university expanded greatly, constructing numerous buildings (the University moved to its present location in 1888).
Washington University was founded as Eliot Seminary on February 22, 1853. It received its present name in 1857 at the insistence of its chancellor, William Greenleaf Eliot
, as it was chartered on George Washington's birthday. The first school opened on its downtown campus at 17th Street and Washington Avenue was the Smith Academy in 1856. This original building was soon followed by the buildings for other departments. Like Saint Louis University
, Washington University relocated from the downtown area, in 1904 moving to its present campus to the west.
After the 1950s, St. Louis, like many other American industrial cities, suffered from industry restructuring, loss of jobs, and demographic changes accompanying suburbanization following highway construction. It has had economic decline and heavy population losses, with a rising rates of poverty and crime. Since the early 1990s, the city has directed urban renewal efforts in the downtown area, with greatly increased investment. Over $4 billion dollars was invested downtown between 1999 and 2006. Recently, the population has grown for the first time in 40 years, and numerous residential and commercial units are being built.
operates the St. Louis Main Post Office at 1720 Market Street in Downtown St. Louis.
Also located in the downtown neighborhood, the St. Louis City Hall at 1200 Market Street.
The Hardee's
chain restaurant company is headquartered in Downtown St. Louis. Hardee's moved to Downtown St. Louis in 2001.
Nestlé Purina PetCare
and Peabody Energy Corporation are headquartered in Downtown St. Louis. Ralcorp
and subsidiary Post Foods have their headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza
in Downtown St. Louis.
In 1999, prior to its merger with American Airlines
, Trans World Airlines
was headquartered in One City Centre at 515 North 6th Street. In 2006, John Steffen, owner of One City Centre, announced that he planned to redevelop it into a mixed-use building called 600 Washington. Prior to a 2005 merger with Federated Department Stores
, May Department Stores
was headquartered in Downtown.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a regional Federal Reserve Bank
covering the 8th district of the Federal Reserve System
, is located at 411 Locust Street at its terminus with North Broadway.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to the east, Chouteau Avenue to the south, and Jefferson Avenue
Jefferson Avenue (St. Louis)
Jefferson Avenue is a major, seven lane wide, north to south thoroughfare in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. For much of its run in south city Jefferson Avenue and Grand Boulevard take a parallel course, separated by about sixteen blocks...
to the west. The downtown is the site of many corporate headquarters, including Stifel Nicolaus
Stifel Nicolaus
Stifel Nicolaus and Company, Inc., incorporated in 1923, is the largest subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corporation and is a member of Securities Investor Protection Corporation . The parent company has several subsidiaries....
, HOK
Hok
Hok may refer to:*Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum, HOK is a major, international architecture, interiors, engineering, planning and consulting firm*Hok , a location in Sweden*Hok/sok system, a host-killing gene of the R1 E...
, Laclede Group, and a host of other companies.
History
The founding history of the downtown area of St. Louis relates to the founding of the city. Pierre LacledePierre Laclède
Pierre Laclède or Pierre Laclède Liguest was a French fur trader who, with his young assistant and "stepson" Auguste Chouteau, founded St...
chose to found the city on the bluffs because it had access to the river for trade and transportation, was above most floods and defensible against hostile Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Laclede found the present-day downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area the perfect place to run a bustling fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
with the Native Americans of the region.
In the community's early days, Laclede acted as the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
leader of St. Louis. While the settlement was named after King Louis IX of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, most residents called it "Laclede Village." Laclede planned the format of the city streets, and oversaw the construction of the settlement's first buildings. Although initial growth was slow, the settlement received a stimulus when France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
surrendered all of its territorial holdings east of the Mississippi river
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
after the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. Many French colonists moved from east of the Mississippi River to St. Louis to escape British rule. By 1776 St. Louis had 300 residents and almost 75 buildings. By 1804 the population had tripled to 900, yet the village was still without a local government. After the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
of 1803, a flood of immigrants from the United States came to the village. As the newcomers established an American system of government, French influence and use of the French language began to wane, but the leading French colonial mercantile families continued to have power.
With the arrival of the steamboat
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
in 1817, St. Louis became a vital center of American commerce, able to trade goods from the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
across the country through the great river system connected by the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. By 1836 the City had 15,000 inhabitants, but it did not have basic institutions, such as banks, libraries or public schools. The downtown streets were being renamed after prominent American settlers. By the mid-19th century, the area was becoming more commercial than residential, and more people began to live in the western parts of the city. The commercial activity of St. Louis was centered on Main street (present-day First Street) Washington Avenue, and Walnut Street. The St. Louis Fire
St. Louis Fire (1849)
The St. Louis Fire of 1849 was a devastating fire that occurred on May 17, 1849 and destroyed a significant part of St. Louis, Missouri and many of the steamboats using the Mississippi River and Missouri River. This was the first fire in United States history in which it is known that a firefighter...
of 1849 destroyed much of this district. In time the city recovered from the fire and regained its place as one of the commercial centers of the Midwest.
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the St. Louis Downtown experienced a building boom, largely because of a lack of room for businesses to expand. In its heyday, the downtown was a bustling center of commerce. By the mid-20th century, the downtown area began to decline as businesses moved west and to the suburbs, and industries restructured. During the 1970s, owners razed dozens of historic buildings and replaced them with parking lots. Also, in 2004, the historic St. Louis Century Building
St. Louis Century Building
The Century Building, designed by Raeder, Coffin, and Crocker and completed in 1896, was a 10-story Classical Revival historic building in downtown St. Louis, Missouri that was used for offices, retail, and a 1600-seat theatre. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October...
was demolished to create a parking deck. The present-day downtown has moved further south, yet the Historic downtown remains. Recent preservation efforts have heightened awareness of the architectural significance of the area.
Both major universities in St. Louis began in the downtown region. Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
was founded in 1818 by Bishop DuBourg, who rented a stone house on Market Street to house its first class. The University was discontinued in 1826 because of Bishop DuBourg's pastoral duties, but the institution was rejuvenated two years later by Father Van Quickenborne. The university expanded greatly, constructing numerous buildings (the University moved to its present location in 1888).
Washington University was founded as Eliot Seminary on February 22, 1853. It received its present name in 1857 at the insistence of its chancellor, William Greenleaf Eliot
William Greenleaf Eliot
William Greenleaf Eliot was an American educator, Unitarian minister, and civic leader in Missouri. He is most notable for founding Washington University in St. Louis, but also contributed to the founding of numerous other civic institutions, such as the St...
, as it was chartered on George Washington's birthday. The first school opened on its downtown campus at 17th Street and Washington Avenue was the Smith Academy in 1856. This original building was soon followed by the buildings for other departments. Like Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University
Saint Louis University is a private, co-educational Jesuit university located in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by the Most Reverend Louis Guillaume Valentin Dubourg SLU is the oldest university west of the Mississippi River. It is one of 28 member institutions of the...
, Washington University relocated from the downtown area, in 1904 moving to its present campus to the west.
After the 1950s, St. Louis, like many other American industrial cities, suffered from industry restructuring, loss of jobs, and demographic changes accompanying suburbanization following highway construction. It has had economic decline and heavy population losses, with a rising rates of poverty and crime. Since the early 1990s, the city has directed urban renewal efforts in the downtown area, with greatly increased investment. Over $4 billion dollars was invested downtown between 1999 and 2006. Recently, the population has grown for the first time in 40 years, and numerous residential and commercial units are being built.
Government and infrastructure
The United States Postal ServiceUnited States Postal Service
The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
operates the St. Louis Main Post Office at 1720 Market Street in Downtown St. Louis.
Also located in the downtown neighborhood, the St. Louis City Hall at 1200 Market Street.
Economy
Hardee's
Hardee's is a restaurant chain, located mostly in the Southeast and Midwestern regions of the United States. It has evolved through several corporate ownerships since its establishment in 1960. It is currently owned and operated by CKE Restaurants. Along with its sibling restaurant chain, Carl's...
chain restaurant company is headquartered in Downtown St. Louis. Hardee's moved to Downtown St. Louis in 2001.
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is the pet food division of Swiss-based Nestlé S.A., following its acquisition of the American Ralston Purina Company on December 12, 2001 and subsequent merger with Nestlé's Friskies PetCare Company. As a wholly owned subsidiary, it is headquartered at the General...
and Peabody Energy Corporation are headquartered in Downtown St. Louis. Ralcorp
Ralcorp
Ralcorp Holdings is a manufacturer of various food products, including breakfast cereal, cookies, crackers, chocolate, snack foods, mayonnaise, pasta and peanut butter. The company is based in St. Louis, Missouri. The majority of the items Ralcorp makes are private label, store brand products. It...
and subsidiary Post Foods have their headquarters in the Bank of America Plaza
Bank of America Plaza (St. Louis)
The Bank of America Plaza is an award-winning skyscraper located in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Formerly Boatmen's Bancshares of St. Louis and First National Bank, the tower is 384 ft tall and has 31 floors. Built in 1982, it comprises , and has a view of the downtown skyline. It is the fourth...
in Downtown St. Louis.
In 1999, prior to its merger with American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
, Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines
Trans World Airlines was an American airline that existed from 1925 until it was bought out by and merged with American Airlines in 2001. It was a major domestic airline in the United States and the main U.S.-based competitor of Pan American World Airways on intercontinental routes from 1946...
was headquartered in One City Centre at 515 North 6th Street. In 2006, John Steffen, owner of One City Centre, announced that he planned to redevelop it into a mixed-use building called 600 Washington. Prior to a 2005 merger with Federated Department Stores
Federated Department Stores
Macy's, Inc. is a department store holding company and owner of Macy's and Bloomingdale's department stores. Macy's Inc.'s stores specialize mostly in retail clothing, jewelery, watches, dinnerware, and furniture....
, May Department Stores
May Department Stores
The May Department Stores Company was a national department store chain in the United States, founded in 1877 by David May. The company ceased to exist in 2005 when it was merged with Federated Department Stores, Inc . Prior to the merger it was headquartered in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri...
was headquartered in Downtown.
The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, a regional Federal Reserve Bank
Federal Reserve Bank
The twelve Federal Reserve Banks form a major part of the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States. The twelve federal reserve banks together divide the nation into twelve Federal Reserve Districts, the twelve banking districts created by the Federal Reserve Act of...
covering the 8th district of the Federal Reserve System
Federal Reserve System
The Federal Reserve System is the central banking system of the United States. It was created on December 23, 1913 with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, largely in response to a series of financial panics, particularly a severe panic in 1907...
, is located at 411 Locust Street at its terminus with North Broadway.