Parkview, also known as a "Saint Louis Urban Oasis," is a historic, private subdivision of

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

. It is partly within the city limits of St. Louis and partly in University City. It is bounded by the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood to the east, the

Delmar Loop The Delmar Loop, often referred to by St. Louis residents simply as The Loop, is an entertainment, cultural and restaurant district in University City, Missouri and the adjoining western edge of St. Louis near Washington University in St. Lou ...

to the north, the Ames Place section of University City to the west,

Washington University in St. Louis Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) is a private research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1853 by a group of civic leaders and named for George Washington, the university spans 355 acres across its Danforth ...

to the south, and

Forest Park A forest park is a park whose main theme is its forest of trees. Forest parks are found both in the mountains and in the urban environment. Examples Chile * Forest Park, Santiago China * Gongqing Forest Park, Shanghai * Mufushan National Fore ...

to the southeast.

History

Much of the land that became Parkview was, in the mid-19th century, contained in the Kingsbury Farm. In 1905, surveyor Julius Pitzman, also the designer of

, was hired to lay out Parkview. Parkview was the largest and the last of the private neighborhoods designed by Julius Pitzman (he also designed Portland and Westmoreland Places and Compton Heights). His elegant design for the neighborhood includes a partly symmetrical arrangement of gently curved streets and parks. Curving streets in residential subdivisions was unusual for the period, and in Parkview they were “soothing and peaceful” to the eye. They added privacy as the streets curve gently out of sight, and they diminished the monotony of the continuous building setback. By 1907 Parkview's first houses were under construction. By 1916, most of Parkview's 255 houses had been built. Most are 3-story brick homes and many are architecturally striking; included are several excellent examples of

Colonial Revival style The Colonial Revival architectural style seeks to revive elements of American colonial architecture. The beginnings of the Colonial Revival style are often attributed to the Centennial Exposition, Centennial Exhibition of 1876, which reawakened A ...

and of

Arts and Crafts architecture The Arts and Crafts movement was an international trend in the decorative and fine arts that developed earliest and most fully in the British Isles and subsequently spread across the British Empire and to the rest of Europe and America. Initiat ...

. In 1986, the neighborhood was accepted into the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

under the name of "Parkview Historic District." Over the years, a large number of notable St. Louisans have made their home in Parkview. The list includes Missouri Governor Henry Caulfield; St. Louis mayor Bernard Dickmann; University City mayors Heman, Flynn and Cunningham; artists Bessie Lowenhaupt, Aimee Schweig, Jane Pettus, Edmund Wuerpel and Gustav Goetch; writers

Stanley Elkin Stanley Lawrence Elkin (May 11, 1930 – May 31, 1995) was an American novelist, short story writer, and essayist. His extravagant, satirical fiction revolves around American consumerism, popular culture, and male-female relationships. Biograp ...

and

William Gass William Howard Gass (July 30, 1924 – December 6, 2017) was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, critic, and philosophy professor. He wrote three novels, three collections of short stories, a collection of novellas, and seven vol ...

; aviation great General James (Jimmy) Doolittle; baseball players

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the History of t ...

and

Bob Gibson Robert Gibson (November 9, 1935October 2, 2020), nicknamed "Gibby" and "Hoot", was an American baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1959 to 1975. Known for his fiercely competi ...

; and film maker

Charles Guggenheim Charles Eli Guggenheim (March 31, 1924 – October 9, 2002) was an American documentary film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was the most honored documentary filmmaker in the academy history, winning four Oscars from twelve nomination ...

. Today it is home to many writers, physicians, lawyers, scientists, and professors. It is considered a highly desirable residential area, and its homes routinely sell for over $800,000.

References

External links

Parkview website
Retrieved on 2008-04-02. {{Registered Historic Places Neighborhoods in St. Louis Buildings and structures in St. Louis County, Missouri Residential buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis National Register of Historic Places in St. Louis County, Missouri

History

References

Further reading

External links