St Louis City Carondelet Neighborhood

Carondelet Neighborhood

Location:

Carondelet general boundaries are defined as Walsh St. on the North, southward to Virginia Ave. eastward to Eichelberger St., southward to the Mississippi River on the East, westward to E. Nagel Ave., southward to S. Broadway, westward to E. Robert Ave., on the South, northward to Virginia Ave. westward to Robert Ave. southward to Alabama Ave. westward to River City Blvd. to Interstate Highway 55 (I-55) northward to S Grand Ave. eastward to Loughborough Ave. northward to Interstate Highway 55 (I-55) westward to Holly Hills Blvd. northward to S. Grand Blvd on the West to Walsh St.

History:

Carondelet was originally founded in 1767 under the name Louisbourg (commonly called "Vide Poche") by Delore, who settled on a site that is now Elwood Street. Delore was given 6,000 acres by Spain. This land extended 10 miles along the Mississippi River. Delore changed the name to Carondelet in 1794 in honor of the Spanish Governor General. In 1803, when Louisiana was purchased from France by the U.S., it was a hamlet of 50 homes and 250 people. In 1826, Carondelet sold 1,700 acres to the U.S. for Jefferson Barracks at a cost of $5.00. In 1832, Carondelet became an official town and, in 1851, a city. In 1870, the City of St. Louis annexed what had become the booming industrial city of Carondelet.

The Carondelet neighborhood, to this day, maintains a strong sense of community pride due to its rich history, architecture and ethnic diversity that included French, German, Irish, African, Spanish, British, Italian, and Polish settlers. Residents wishing to preserve the heritage of Carondelet founded the Carondelet Historical Society in 1967. Plaques have been placed at over 45 sites of historic significance throughout the neighborhood. A collection of historical documents, books, furniture, and other items are maintained at the Carondelet Historic Center, operating out of what was once the Des Peres School, where the first public school kindergarten appeared in the U.S.

*Retrieved from https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/