HISTORY
Stories, Photos and Other Treasures from Our Archive
Search for documents, videos and other historical records pertaining, your community, neighbors, homes, and family.
Historical Archives
Welcome to the Lafayette Square Archives. This is an effort we aim to sustain over time, collecting, cataloging, and sharing the history of the Square, with a special focus on the years of renewal here; say from 1968 on.
We currently have several hundred documents, 92 house tour booklets, and many photos scanned into pdf format in the archives. We’re collecting more all the time, and will share the stories we uncover in future postings.
Content without context is just a data dump – we’ll try to avoid that. You’re welcomed and encouraged to submit your own stories and memories to archives@lafayettesquare.org.
The big idea is to develop a deeper appreciation of where we’ve been and how we got here, as a community.
The Lafayette Square Archives blog is a work now in progress. With your input, it will only get better as it develops.
Mike Jones
Managing editor of the Archives section, and a veteran of volunteer stints with the Missouri History Museum and Missouri State Archives. Constantly curious about what lies beneath the surfaces of Lafayette Square.
2020: The Big Dig In Lafayette Square
Out walking the dog this morning, I was stunned by a discovery at the dig site for the new apartments along Chouteau Avenue. Here’s what it was… Praxair is a…
2002: The Fall of Malcolm Bliss
Here’s an early photo from the best days of the Malcolm Bliss Psychiatric Hospital. The word “bliss” seems an interesting choice for a psychiatric health facility. As if the more…
1892 – The Speaking Tubes Of Lafayette Square
1892: The Speaking Tubes Of Lafayette Square A reference to ‘speaking tubes’ appeared during a look at old real estate listings around Lafayette Square. Being from split level suburbia, I’d…
1875 – The Lafayette Square Hotel
Sometimes a three story hotel on a conspicuous corner will simply disappear. Here’s the story of one in Lafayette Square.
