Lafayette Square Historic District, historic district in Missouri, United States
Lafayette Square Historic District is a residential neighborhood in St. Louis with Victorian-era homes and a central park dating to the 1830s. The architecture features primarily Renaissance Revival style with stone and brick buildings, mansard roofs with dormer windows, arched windows and doors, ornate stonework, and later Italianate and Germanic influences including red brick, towers, and decorative ironwork.
The neighborhood developed around 1860 as the city expanded and people moved into the previously remote area. A devastating tornado in 1896 damaged many homes and the park, after which many families relocated westward.
The neighborhood is named after Marquis de Lafayette, a French general who visited St. Louis in 1825 and became a symbol of the American Revolution. Today, residents gather on front porches, walk through the park together, and organize community events that bring neighbors closer.
The neighborhood is easy to explore on foot since streets are close together and the central park serves as a good reference point. Wear comfortable shoes and allow time for leisurely walking, especially during daylight hours when the buildings and park are most visible.
The area was originally used as a military training ground by Colonel Thornton Grimsley and was locally known as 'Grimsley's Folly' because people thought it was too remote to settle. This backstory reveals how the location later became a desired residential neighborhood despite initial skepticism.
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