History · St. Louis

St. Louis has 444 places on the National Register, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns · #1 of 247 in Missouri. What drives it

Dated to 1764 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history), with 58% of its homes built before 1940 and 92 historic districts holding 25,303 contributing buildings. Below: 22 old photos and papers, maps from 1933 on, the census since 1810, and every listing on the Register.

1764founded

444on the National Register

58%homes built before 1940

22old photos & papers

22famous people

Add an old photo Share a memory

From St. Louis’ archive · credits on each photo

Quick answers

How St. Louis began

When was St. Louis founded?

1764

St. Louis dates its founding to 1764 (Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history agree). The census first counted it in 1810.

First census: 1,600 in 18102020 census: 301,578262 years

How historic is St. Louis?

A⁺

Among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓

Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1804.The full story ↓

History grade

What drives St. Louis’ History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, St. Louis is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 247 in Missouri. All 3 inputs put St. Louis near the top nationally; its National Register listings ranks highest.

A⁺

HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of St. Louis’ overall grade.

Founding era1764, from Wikidata: founded before 1776, an older era than 96% of U.S. townsA⁺Homes built before 194057.9% of homes (±1.1) · typical MO town 8.4% · U.S. 8.4%A⁺National Register444 listings, 25,303 historic buildings, 877 per 10,000 residents · typical MO town 2.4 · U.S. 2.4A⁺

All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Among the top 1%

NewerOlder

Missouri towns of 2,500+ (247)#1 of 247

Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, St. Louis ranks #1 on History.

Missouri towns list about as much on the Register as the country (a typical Missouri town has 2.4 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so St. Louis’ 877 sits above most of its state (99% of Missouri towns have fewer) while its 25,303 historic buildings are more than any other U.S. town’s.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would still be A+. The pre-1940 share (±1.1 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1764.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about St. Louis’ past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A National Historic Landmark444 places on the National Register, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks.A historic districtThe Gravois-Jefferson Streetcar Suburb Historic District takes in 4,641 historic buildings.Lost villages8 post offices opened and closed inside today’s St. Louis, and 70 old place names are still on the map.A town in old photos22 old photos, postcards and papers, 1910–1936.

★ What stands out · On the National Register

444 listings protect 25,303 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving. 13 are National Historic Landmarks, the highest tier. Boundary changes and added documentation are counted with their listing.

places listed

444

National Historic Landmarks

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National …

historic buildings protected

25,303

each building in a district counts

first listed

1966

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National …

BuildingsDistrictsStructures★ landmark

Architectural styles listings

Classical Revival49

Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals47

Modern Movement36

Late Victorian34

Romanesque Revival26

Italianate23

★ Landmark

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic SiteGreek Revival · Built 2018

★ Landmark

Wainwright BuildingBuilding

★ Landmark

U.S. Customhouse and Post OfficeSecond Empire

★ Landmark

St. Louis Union StationRichardsonian Romanesque · Built 1892

★ Landmark

Missouri Botanical GardensBuilt 1859

★ Landmark

Tower Grove ParkDistrict

★ Landmark

Eugene Field HouseFederal

★ Landmark

Joseph Erlanger HouseBuilding

All 444 listings

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Eight other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Saint Louis

1804–today

Carondelet

1826–1873

Bremen

1850–1856

Cheltenham

1858–1886

Baden

1860–1885

Lowell

1870–1873

Cote Brilliant

1872–1873

Gardenville

1873–1892

Glades

1884–1886

18001910today

Hamlets and corners on the map

AcademyBadenBentonBenton Park WestBroadwayCabanne PlaceCarondeletCarr SquareCentral West EndCheltenhamCherokee ParkClayton-TammClifton HeightsCollege HillColumbus SquareCompton HeightsCovenant Blu-Grand CenterDe BaliviereDutchtownEads Square ParkEllendaleForest Park SoutheastFountain ParkFox Park

Gone or out of use

All Saints ChurchchurchBarnard Free Skin and Cancer HospitalhospitalBenton BarracksmilitaryBethania ChurchchurchCentral ChurchchurchCentral HospitalhospitalGriscom Detention CenterbuildingHomer G Phillips HospitalhospitalMallinckrodt Chemical Fire DepartmentbuildingStouffers Heliportairport

8cemeteries and burying grounds inside St. Louis

BellefontaineCalvaryConcordiaGatewood GardensOld Saint MarcusSaint MatthewSaints Peter and PaulWestern Lutheran

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

The story

How St. Louis came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of St. Louis.

Read it all →

The area that became St. Louis was a center of the Native American Mississippian culture, which built numerous temple and residential earthwork mounds on both sides of the Mississippi River. Their major regional center was at Cahokia Mounds, active from 900 to 1500. Due to numerous major earthworks within St. Louis boundaries, the city was nicknamed "Mound City". These mounds were mostly demolished during the city's development. Historic Native American tribes in the area encountered by early Europeans included the Siouan-speaking Osage people, whose territory extended west, and the Illiniwek. Sugarloaf Mound in South St. Louis was repatriated to the Osage Nation in 2025.

ChaptersMississippian culture and European exploration Founding 19th century 20th century 21st century Tornadoes of St. Louis

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

From the old history books

What they wrote about St. Louis, 1882–1886

Passages that mention St. Louis, cut from the printed page as they were published.

**Annals of St. Louis in its early days under the French and Spanish dominations [microform]**1886 · page 78Read the page →
Read the text
who continued, as sexton, to inter until March 25, 1772, up to which date he had interred thirty-four bodies, when Father Valentin, who had just been appointed the first curate of the parish of St. Louis, entered upon his duties, and took charge of the church register.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

‘* In this town of St. Louis in Illinois, the thirtieth of the month of July, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, in default of a Notary public, before me, Don Francisco Cruzat, commander and Lieutenant-Governor of this western part and district of Illinois, province of Louisia… — **Annals of St. Louis in its early days under the French and Spanish dominations [microform]**1886 · page 243Read the page →
Read the text
‘* In this town of St. Louis in Illinois, the thirtieth of the month of July, in the year one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, in default of a Notary public, before me, Don Francisco Cruzat, commander and Lieutenant-Governor of this western part and district of Illinois, province of Louisiana, and in presence of the undersigned witnesses, hereinafter named, personally appeared John Baptist Ferret, a trader with the Indians, residing in this post of St. Louis, who has sold, ceded, relinquished and trans-
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

**History of Boone County, Missouri. Written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources**1882 · page 77Read the page →
Read the text
The missionary enterprises of this church began in the State in 1819, when a parish was organized in the City of St. Louis. In 1828, an agent of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society, visited the city, who reported the condition of things so favorably that Rev.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

pecuniary troubles. In 1847, the Clark Mission began and in 184^ the Orphans' Home, a charitable institution, was founded. In 1865, St. Luke's Hospital was established. In 1875, there were in the city of St. Louis, twelve parishes and missions and twelve clergymen. This denomnation has several scho… — **History of Boone County, Missouri. Written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources**1882 · page 78Read the page →
Read the text
pecuniary troubles. In 1847, the Clark Mission began and in 184^ the Orphans' Home, a charitable institution, was founded. In 1865, St. Luke's Hospital was established. In 1875, there were in the city of St. Louis, twelve parishes and missions and twelve clergymen. This denomnation has several schools and colleges, and one newspaper.. UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.

Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

Timeline

St. Louis, 1764 to 1968

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

18th century
1764
FoundingSt. Louis is established
19th century
1804Post officeThe Saint Louis post office opens
1826Post officeThe Carondelet post office opens
1850Post officeThe Bremen post office opens
1856Post officeThe Bremen post office closes
1859BuiltMissouri Botanical Gardens is built
1873Post officeThe Carondelet post office closes
1888Born hereT. S. Eliot is born here
1892BuiltSt. Louis Union Station is built
20th century
1906Born hereJosephine Baker is born here
1910In the archiveNewsies. Location: St. Louis, Missouri
1928Born hereMaya Angelou is born here
1933On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
1936In the archiveSlums. Saint Louis, Missouri
1948Born hereSteven Chu is born here
1950CensusPopulation peaks at 856,796
1966LandmarkAnheuser-Busch Brewery named a National Historic Landmark
1968LandmarkWainwright Building named a National Historic Landmark

By decade

St. Louis, decade by decade

2 decades in the archive, from the 1910s to the 1930s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1910s19 items

1910Newsies. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Newsie. St. Louis, Mo. May 1910. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Newsie. St. Louis, Mo. May 1910. Location: St. Louis,…

1910Newsie. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Young messengers, Olive St. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Young messengers, Olive St. Location: St. Louis, Miss…

1910Old newsboys. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910"Just newsies." Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Young newsies. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Flipping cars. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Bundle boy. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Bundle boys. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Bundle carrier. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Express helper. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910A young messenger. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Hotel de Bum. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910"Livers" a young newsie. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910An old time newsboy. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Saloon and boys selling. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

Newsies selling near saloon. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Newsies selling near saloon. Location: St. Louis, Mis…

Johnston's Branch adjoining Saloon 10th & Cass St. Location: St. Louis, Missouri

1910Johnston's Branch adjoining Saloon 10th & Cass St. Lo…

1930s3 items

1936Slums. Saint Louis, Missouri

1936Children's playground. Saint Louis, Missouri

1940s–1990snothing yet

Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Add from your album

On the map

St. Louis on the map, 1933 to 1993

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of St. Louis. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

1933Granite City sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of St. Louis.

Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Retake this viewNewsies. Location: St. Louis, Missouri, 1910

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on St. Louis’ page.

Retake this view · +15

People over time

St. Louis, census by census

Peaked at 856,796 in 1950; 301,578 people lived here in 2020.

21 censuses, 1810–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on St. Louis’ Wikipedia page.

Famous people

22 famous people were born in St. Louis

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →

T. S. EliotUS-British poet · b. 1888

Maya AngelouAmerican poet, author, and civil rights activist · b. 1928

Josephine BakerAmerican-born French dancer, singer and actress · b. 1906

Steven ChuAmerican physicist, former United States Secret… · b. 1948

Taylor MomsenAmerican actress, singer and model · b. 1993

Roger D. KornbergAmerican biochemist · b. 1947

Help out

Finish St. Louis’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos

00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s

2 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.

Retake an old viewNewsies. Location: St. Louis, Missouri: stand where they stood+15 Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Lemay2 historic placesA⁻Glasgow VillageIts storyC⁻Clayton10 historic placesA RiverviewIts storyC⁺Richmond Heights4 historic placesA⁺

Questions about St. Louis’ history

What year was St. Louis founded?

In 1764, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. St. Louis’ post office opened in 1804, and the census of 1810 counted 1,600 people here.

How does St. Louis rank for history?

St. Louis is among the most historic 1% of U.S. towns, #1 of 247 in Missouri. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in St. Louis?

444 listings, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks: 345 buildings, 94 historic districts with 24,848 contributing buildings, and 5 structures. 25,303 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in St. Louis?

58% of St. Louis’ homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.1 points), against a typical 8.4% for a Missouri town; the median home was built in 1938.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →

Start a conversation

Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From the Library of Congress (22), the National Register of Historic Places (444), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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St. Louis has 444 places on the National Register, 13 of them National Historic Landmarks

How St. Louis began

When was St. Louis founded?

How historic is St. Louis?

What drives St. Louis’ History grade

What stands out about St. Louis’ past

444 listings protect 25,303 historic buildings

Architectural styles listings

Lost post offices, old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

How St. Louis came to be

What they wrote about St. Louis, 1882–1886

St. Louis, 1764 to 1968

St. Louis, decade by decade

St. Louis on the map, 1933 to 1993

Stand where they stood

St. Louis, census by census

22 famous people were born in St. Louis

Finish St. Louis’s story

History across the town line

Questions about St. Louis’ history

Memory lane

Where this page comes from