Benton Park, Benton Park West and Marine Villa

MAP Benton Park, Benton Park West and Marine Villa Benton Park Community Directory 2012 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS About Benton Park 4 Benton Park Calendar of Events, 2012 10 About Benton Park West 12 Benton Park West Calendar of Events, 2012 16 About Marine Villa 18 List of Businesses—Categories 20 List of Businesses — Alphabetical 34 Officers & Important Neighborhood Phone Numbers 46-48 A publication of the Virginia Publishing Company Copyright ©2012 625 N. Euclid Ave., Ste. 200 St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 367-6612 • (314) 367-0727 (fax) [email protected] | [email protected] Publisher: Jeff Fister Advertising Sales: Tammy Brownfield Copy Editor: Pat Acquisto Production Designer: Ben Pierce This directory is a product of Virginia Publishing Co. and is not an official publication of any of the govern- mental or institutional entities included, nor does their presence imply any endorsement of Virginia Publish- ing Co. While we have endeavored to be as complete and as accurate as possible, we are not responsible for any errors or omissions that have occurred. If you have corrections, suggestions or additions, please contact our office by November 15, 2012 to be included in the 2013 Benton Park Community Directory. 2 Benton Park Community Directory 2012 Benton Park Community Directory 2012 3 BENTON PARK ST. LOUIS Located South of the downtown and was known as City Park, later area at Jefferson and Arsenal, changed to Benton Park. In 1882, Benton Park offers residents a monument to Colonel Friedrich and visitors over fourteen acres K. F. Hecker was placed near the containing winding walks, a southern entrance to the park. large lake stocked with fish, Colonel Hecker raised a regiment modern playground, tennis courts of local German-Americans during and a recently updated shelter the Civil War to serve on the building. The park provides an Union side. Extensive landscaping inviting space for residents of the and the construction of the park surrounding neighborhoods to shelter building and the first play and socialize. In recent years, playground were completed in the Benton Park Neighborhood the mid-twentieth century. More Association has sponsored free recent renovations have included concerts in the park. For 2011, paving of the paths, replacement the outdoor park events start in of the playground equipment, May with a 5K Race in May; free improved lighting, repair and concerts in June, July, August restoration of the tennis courts, and September; and the Gateway installation of electricity to the Classic Bike Race on Labor Day. strolling bridge, installation of a (See BPNAstl.org for details.) The decorative gate under the strolling monthly summer concerts have bridge, and improvements to the grown in the past two years into shelter building. festivals which include hands on art activities, carnival games and a variety of other attractions for adults and children alike. The first use of Benton Park by St. Louis City was as the site of the City Cemetery in 1840. It served in that capacity until 1865 when the bodies were moved to Arsenal Island. The area officially became a park on June 25, 1866 4 Benton Park Community Directory 2012 THE NEIGHBORHOODS The park is enclosed within the buildings were added in the early Benton Park Neighborhood which 20th century. Established as a extends from Gravois on the north National Historic District in 1985 to Cherokee Street on the south. and later as a local historic district Jefferson Street forms the western as well, the vicinity boasts a large boundary of the neighborhood number of well-preserved examples and I-55 the eastern boundary. of early St. Louis architecture. Construction of businesses and Since the 1980s, the homes in the area was limited neighborhood has undergone a before 1860 but escalated following renaissance of urban renewal fueled the Civil War. The neighborhood by the combined grassroots efforts was termed ‘semi-urbanized’ of individuals, local developers and by the time of publication of the small businesses. Today, restored Compton and Dry Atlas in 1875. residential dwellings are mixed The whole vicinity was riddled with small businesses and award- with sinkholes due to an extensive winning restaurants ranging from system of underground caverns fine dining to coffee shops and delis which included the well-known to form a diverse, vibrant, thriving Cherokee Caves in addition to other community. cave networks. As development The southern border of the continued the sinkholes were Benton Park Neighborhood is filled and graded until they formed by the Cherokee-Lemp had nearly disappeared by the Historic District (demenil.org). This 1890’s; however, evidence of the unique collection of antique and underground caves occasionally collectible shops, galleries, and pops up now and again. In 2008, restaurants is sometimes referred a sinkhole appeared at the edge to as “Antique Row” or “Cherokee of the large lake in Benton Park, Row.” It extends from the Chatillon- draining the pond. After the deMenil Mansion at the eastern hole was filled, a new lining was end of Cherokee Street to Jefferson installed in the concrete-bottomed Street on the west. In addition to lake to prevent further loss of water. the many beautifully preserved Most of the housing in the area and restored historic buildings was constructed of the red brick along Antique Row, this stretch for which St. Louis is famous. of Cherokee Street was recently Small to medium-sized single- improved with period lighting, family dwellings were mixed with bicycle racks, benches and other larger homes and multiple-family beautification upgrades. Benton Park Community Directory 2012 5 The area is a perfect setting The southern side of Cherokee for a leisurely Saturday outing Street forms the northern border browsing through the eclectic of the Marine Villa Neighborhood shops while sampling the local (marinevilla.org ), which extends cuisine. An annual Christmas south to Gasconade Street and Cookie Spree event in December from the Mississippi River on the provides a pleasant variation on east to Jefferson Street on the the holiday shopping experience west. This energetic, diverse and is set in an historic Victorian neighborhood has an active neighborhood complete with neighborhood association which carolers, Santa Claus, live music, sponsors a number of innovative and free cookies offered by local methods for strengthening businesses. community, among those a The anchor of Cherokee Street, block link program. In 2010, the Chatillon-deMenil Mansion, the association sponsored an has been restored to its mid-19th Art Festival in the picturesque century condition and is available old firehouse located at the for tours Wednesday-Friday from intersection of Broadway and 10AM-2PM and on Saturday Lemp. Perhaps the most famous from 10AM-3PM. The house landmark in Marine Villa is was originally built as a 4-room the old Lemp Brewery located brick farmhouse in 1848 by Henri at the corner of Cherokee and Chatillon, a guide and hunter for Lemp Streets. The brewery the American Fur Company of St. Louis. In 1856 the house was currently houses a number of sold to Dr. Nicolas N. DeMenil, small businesses and plenty of husband of Emilie Sophie promise for future development. Chouteau, who hired architect Like the other neighborhoods Henry Pitcher to design an in the area, Marine Villa boasts addition which turned the simple its own unique collection of farmhouse into the Greek Revival historic architecture. This is an Mansion preserved as a museum up-and-coming urban renewal today. Throughout the year, the neighborhood. Chatillon-DeMenil Association On the west side of Benton presents a number of special Park lies the Benton Park West events complete with performers Neighborhood (bentonparkwest. in period dress showcasing the org), bounded on the east by city’s French heritage and the Jefferson Street, on the south Victorian era, including the by Cherokee Street to Compton ‘Bastille Day Celebration’ in July and then south to Potomac and and ‘Death and Mourning in the west to its intersection with 19th Century’ in October. Gravois which forms the western 6 Benton Park Community Directory 2012 Benton Park Community Directory 2012 7 and northern borders as it angles toward downtown. The abundance of historic red brick 19th century and early 20th century structures noted in Benton Park are also found in Benton Park West. Although there are no city parks within the Benton Park West Neighborhood, the residents and their neighborhood association share the amenities of Benton Park with their neighbors on the east side of Jefferson Street. An active Benton Park West Neighborhood Association sponsors a number of events throughout the year for residents of the area and partners with the Benton Park Neighborhood Association on some of the events in Benton Park as well. The stretch of Cherokee Street from Jefferson to Gravois has seen a revival in the past few years with active groups of young artists, new cafes, art galleries, an urban garden, and a collection of Latin American restaurants and food shops. With its concentration of Mexican American establishments, Cherokee Street is the place to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in the spring and Latin Week in the fall. Benton Park and its surrounding neighborhoods serve as an example of some of the best in St. Louis urban redevelopment. Neighbors committed to diversity, dedicated to historic restoration, and devoted to building community are making the revival of this urban area a success story. 8 Benton Park Community

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