Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Overview

Location

The neighborhood's boundaries are defined by Virginia Avenue on the West, the Mississippi River on the East, Meramec Street on the North, and Delor Street on the South.

History

The Mount Pleasant neighborhood has been an important constituent of St. Louis for many years. A portion of the area used to be a part of the old St. Louis Commons before it was annexed by the city in 1836. By 1860, a great deal of the Commons had been sold. The city had retained a portion of the reservations that eventually became Gravois, Laclede, and Mount Pleasant Parks. Development took place from east to west. By 1910, a great deal of the area had been developed. The Minnie Wood Memorial Playground, located at the intersection of Broadway and Meramec Street, was acquired in 1925 as a gift. On the eastern side of Broadway between Mt. Pleasant Street to Bates Street were large homes overlooking the Mississippi River. Many of these homes have been demolished, while a few remain, having been converted into homes for the elderly.

The land on which Mount Pleasant was constructed is the old St. Louis Commons, purchased in 1836 by the City, which was also responsible for the creation of the neighborhood's Mt. Pleasant Park. The area was, for the most part, developed on a gridiron pattern, with the streets running east and west named after various Indian tribes, and the streets running north and south named after the states of the Union. Development occurred generally from east to north. Many oil tank farms and industrial yards developed along the banks of the Mississippi. Also along the river, many large, stately homes had been built; few remain today, however, and those that do have been converted into homes for the elderly (such as Edgewater).

Many single-family structures were built between 1900 and 1930 along South Compton, north of Delor Street. Mount Pleasant for the most part, however, had assumed its present aspect by 1910. The area had been settled originally by immigrants, particularly those of Germanic descent. The area provided a comfortable place in which to live, as well as close proximity to the thriving industries along the river.

North of Delor Street is the south end of the old St. Louis Commons, which was sold to the City in 1836. Neighborhood construction began in the mid to late 1800s and continued through the early portion of the twentieth century. Most of the wooden buildings along the riverfront were destroyed by the fire of 1849.