1888: Views Of Lafayette Park

The 1888 book Commercial And Architectural St. Louis was both city travelogue and advertisement for its many commercial enterprises. It contains some intriguing drawings of Lafayette Park from the late 1880s. Consider that these images pre-date the Great Cyclone of 1896. That cataclysm wrecked much of the neighborhood and everything in the park but the statues and Park House.

The following narrative is from the original text in the book.

Lafayette Park lies in the southwestern portion of the city, and is in the midst of the fine residence portion of the south side…It is under a board of special commissioners, and they, together with the park department, have made it one of the handsomest pieces of landscape architecture to be found in the United States, not excepting any.

During the summer, the city provides a band of music for both Tower Grove and Lafayette parks, and on the days set apart as music days these parks are thronged.

Lafayette Park is not a driving park, so no vehicle being admitted larger than a child’s perambulator, but of these on any fine day there are thousands.

While in the lake boats are plying by the hundreds. Among the statues in this park, those of Washington and Benton occupy a prominent place.

Of the rare and curious plants, creepers, mosses, etc., and of the beautiful foliage, grottos, shady nooks, and other attractive features, a volume could be written. One must see such a place to appreciate it.

Thanks to the source of both text and illustrations:

Commercial And Architectural St. Louis; George Washington O’rear; Jones & O’rear Publishing. 1888

For a great overview of the same space today, check out the Lafayette Park Conservancy’ s website at https://www.lafayettepark.org