Carondelet Neighborhood Overview

Location

The area is defined by Eichelberger on the Northeast, River Des Peres on the Southwest, the Mississippi River on the Southeast and by Grand and I-55 on the Northwest. The Patch neighborhood, which was historically part of Carondelet City, lies to the southwest of Robert and southeast of Alabama.

History

Carondelet was originally founded in 1767 under the name Louisbourg (commonly called "Vide Poche") by Delore, who settled on a site that is now Elwood Street. Delore was given 6,000 acres by Spain. This land extended 10 miles along the Mississippi River. Delore changed the name to Carondelet in 1794 in honor of the Spanish Governor General. In 1803, when Louisiana was purchased from France by the U.S., it was a hamlet of 50 homes and 250 people. In 1826, Carondelet sold 1,700 acres to the U.S. for Jefferson Barracks at a cost of $5.00. In 1832, Carondelet became an official town and, in 1851, a city. In 1870, the City of St. Louis annexed what had become the booming industrial city of Carondelet.

The Carondelet neighborhood, to this day, maintains a strong sense of community pride due to its rich history, architecture and ethnic diversity that included French, German, Irish, African, Spanish, British, Italian, and Polish settlers. Residents wishing to preserve the heritage of Carondelet founded the Carondelet Historical Society in 1967. Plaques have been placed at over 45 sites of historic significance throughout the neighborhood. A collection of historical documents, books, furniture, and other items are maintained at the Carondelet Historic Center, operating out of what was once the Des Peres School, where the first public school kindergarten appeared in the U.S.