Barnum's St. Louis Hotel was a historic 6-floor hotel built in 1854. The Barnums were a family of hotel keepers who had run the famous Barnum's Hotel in Baltimore. This building was located at the 2nd and Walnut Streets in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, and has been considered to be St. Louis' first high-rise building. The hotel was designed by architect

George I. Barnett George Ingham Barnett (1815–1898) was an architect from St. Louis, Missouri. He was called "The Dean of St. Louis Architecture" for his contributions to the buildings of St. Louis as well as for his influence on other architects in the United ...

. The famous former slave Dred Scott worked as a porter here from 1857 until his death. Dred Scott's new owners had freed him two months after the U.S. Supreme Court decision. Scott became a local celebrity, greeting visitors at the hotel until he died of tuberculosis on September 17, 1858. Famous guests included

Henry Clay Henry Clay Sr. (April 12, 1777June 29, 1852) was an American attorney and statesman who represented Kentucky in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives. He was the seventh House speaker as well as the ninth secretary of state, al ...

and Illinois Governor Richard Yates. Brother Frank and William Roberson had a barbershop beneath it. The hotel was demolished in 1890.

References

Hotel buildings completed in 1854 Hotels established in 1854 Hotels in Missouri Buildings and structures in St. Louis Demolished buildings and structures in St. Louis Buildings and structures demolished in 1890 1854 establishments in Missouri {{US-hotel-stub