What began as a 30-acre commons southwest of the city became an elite neighborhood for St. Louis’s finest residents.
Boasting the badge of the city’s first public park, Lafayette Square Park was formed from the old commons land. Located west of the city’s core at the time, this land was set aside in 1767 for use by all citizens.
Early History of the Park
Early St. Louis homeowners received 40 arpent strips of land in the commons and shared a common pasture for livestock.
By Victorian times, the area was still mostly wooded and dangerous—outlaws would camp there and rob travelers passing through.
On March 7, 1836, the city government formed a committee on the commons. The aldermen selected the highest plot of land in the city to become a park and public square.
The land’s first known use was by Colonel Grimsley, president of the commons committee, for military training. Locals called it “Grimsley’s Folly.”
Official Dedication and Early Development
On November 12, 1851, Lafayette Square Park was officially dedicated by ordinance #2741 via the Board of Improvement.
Mayor Luther Kent, City Engineer Samuel Curtis, and residents John Rust, Stephen Barlow, and Edward Bredwell served on the Improvement Board.
At that time, the park was uncultivated and unenclosed. Apart from Grimsley’s exercises, it saw little use.
In 1854, the park was renamed Lafayette Park after French General Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War volunteer who visited St. Louis in 1825 and was beloved by the town.
Mid-19th Century Maintenance and Controversy
From 1859 to 1862, no funds were spent on the park except maintenance covered by the superintendent living on-site.
Edward Krausnick served as the city’s first park commissioner (1856-1864). He leased part of the park for a winter biergarten, which led to his dismissal over a technicality related to liquor sales.
Park Improvements
In July 1865, the general assembly authorized $30,000 in bonds to improve the park.
Wealthy residents purchased these bonds and funded a professional gardener and architect.
Maximilian Kern became the park’s first official superintendent, creating lakes, fountains, flowerbeds, and planting thousands of trees.
City guards enforced park cleanliness and strict dress codes to exclude undesirables.
Iron Fence and Monuments
By 1866, $71,500 in bonds funded replacing the wooden fence with an elegant iron fence and gates, a police station, and the Rockery bridge.
The 5-foot-3-inch iron fence was completed in 1869. Each of the eight entrances featured Glencoe marble gate posts.
In 1868, sculptress Harriet Homer donated a statue of Thomas Hart Benton.
In 1869, a bronze cast of Houdon’s George Washington was placed in the park.
A pagoda was added near the northeast entrance in 1872.
Park’s Heyday and Decline
From the 1870s through the 1890s, the park was extremely popular, drawing an estimated 15,000 visitors each Sunday.
The city enlarged the police force to maintain safety and decorum.
All of this changed on May 27, 1896, when an EF4 tornado devastated the southern city, including Lafayette Square.
Nearly every tree was destroyed, leaving a wasteland of stumps and branches.
20th Century Decline and Revitalization
The park and neighborhood declined through the following decades.
1951: The music stand was torn down.
1950s: The west lake was filled in during the polio epidemic (now the rock garden area).
1960s: The park house was boarded up.
Starting in the late 1960s and into the 1980s, city funding and rehabilitation efforts revived both the neighborhood and park. In 1999, a pergola with brick patio and mural by local artist Andy Cross were added.
Lafayette Park Conservancy and Recent Projects
On November 12, 2001—the 150th anniversary of the park’s creation—the Lafayette Park Conservancy was formed.
Their mission: to restore and preserve the historic legacy of Lafayette Park, the oldest urban park developed in the Louisiana Purchase.
Projects completed include:
Restoration of Kern Pavilion
Perimeter sidewalks
Benton monument and rock garden restoration
Playground updates and expansion
Park house, gazebo, grotto urns, and Washington statue restoration
2024 Lafayette Park Master Plan
The new master plan aims to:
Ensure a diverse, multipurpose, environmentally sound future
Create a unique Victorian strolling park
Provide a safe, comfortable environment
Respect historic and picturesque traditions
Use native tree species
Host significant events celebrating national histories and cultures
The plan is funded through a partnership of St. Louis City, the Lafayette Park Conservancy, and the Lafayette Square Neighborhood Association.
Future projects include:
Preserving historic trees
Improving drainage
Restoring the grotto bridge
Replacing the bandstand
Creating ADA accessible paths
Playground improvements
Park Structures and Features
Park House
Built in 1867 in French Second Empire style
Originally a police station until 1919
Converted in 1943 to groundskeeper’s home
Restored in 1976; gazebo added in 2008
Now a meeting place for park groups
Community Garden
Established in 1997 at Park and Doman Ave
Funded by $20,000 grant; includes garden, pathways, benches
Pergola and mural added in 1999
Cutting flower garden added in 2004
Purchased in trust in 2008
46 beds currently available for members
Kern Pavilion
Former boathouse and comfort station, built 1908
Housed swans in winter
Restored in 2014 and renamed after Maximilian Kern
Used for community events and venue rentals
Playground
Dedicated June 1956, funded by the estate of Albert Preston Greensfelder
Original play area included abstract, brightly colored concrete and steel structures (now replaced with splash pad)
Today’s Lafayette Park
The park is a cherished community space offering relaxation, yoga classes, and lecture series.
You can find more at:
Twitter: @showme_history
Facebook: ShowMeHistorySTL
Until next time, I’ll see you in the Lou.