On the historic streets of the Central West End, one can find Candace O’Connor, author of nine books on Midwestern history, digging into the neighborhood’s cycles of dilapidation and revitalization to gain a better understanding of its social and cultural story.
Her new book, Renaissance: A History of the Central West End, chronicles the rise, fall, and rebirth of the neighborhood, spanning its founding to the present day. The book is filled with archival photos, personal recollections, and forgotten stories of the private streets, gated communities, and opulent mansions—as well as the exclusivity that drew the wealthy there. O’Connor’s book also serves as literary accompaniment to the Nine Network documentary, A Place Worth Saving: The Story of the Central West End, for which O’Connor served as a creative consultant.
Get a weekly dose of home and style inspiration
Subscribe to the St. Louis Design+Home newsletter to explore the latest stories from the local interior design, fashion, and retail scene.
O’Connor spoke to SLM about what she learned while researching her new book and the documentary, as well as why the past and future of the CWE are such an important part of St. Louis.
How does your book address the social and economic changes of the Central West End?
I called the book Renaissance because the area has experienced a rebirth. Still, it hasn’t quite come full circle. At the start, the Central West End was settled by the white, wealthy, largely Protestant St. Louis elite. Today, of course, the neighborhood has a wonderfully diverse mix of people.
As your were researching on the CWE, what surprised you about the neighborhood?
I thought I knew a great deal about the Central West End, but once I delved into its history, I discovered how much I didn’t know. In chapter one, I talk about The Book of St. Louisans, compiled by a local newspaper in 1912, which lists the 4,000 leading men of the city along with their addresses. It is astonishing how many lived in the Central West End. There were Civil War veterans from the Union and Confederate forces, lawyers, doctors, prominent businessmen, lots of Washington University graduates. But there was one common denominator: to one degree or another, they were all wealthy.
Can you tell us about the origins of the private places in the CWE?
From the beginning, well-to-do St. Louisans have been moving west from one exclusive enclave to another, from Lucas Place downtown, to Vandeventer Place in Midtown St. Louis, to the Central West End, and eventually on to Clayton and Ladue. So the desire to live among other wealthy people in a beautiful neighborhood certainly wasn’t new.
Do you foresee a rising demand for large historic homes like the ones in the CWE?
I’m better at portraying the past than I am at predicting the future, but I certainly hope that people will always treasure these magnificent homes. We have lost far too many already. It was horrifying to see how many mansions along Lindell or West Pine were torn down from the ’40s through the ’60s.
Who were some of the area’s heroes and pioneers?
Early heroes included the architects and developers. Jacob Goldman, a successful cotton merchant, established Hortense Place after he wasn’t allowed to build on another private place because he was Jewish.
A major hero was David Francis, chief organizer of the 1904 World’s Fair, which spurred development of the Central West End. Francis also owned a fabulous mansion himself in the neighborhood, which was later torn down.
During the period of decline, the heroes were all the people, the residents, churches, politicians, and merchants who stayed and fought to bring about change.
Are there any particular homes or buildings that stand out as historic landmarks?
There are so many! The Chase Park Plaza closed in 1989 but beautifully reborn. The St. Louis Cathedral Basilica, with its astonishing mosaic work. Or the cultural institutions in Forest Park that arose during and after the World’s Fair: the Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, parts of the zoo, such as the graceful Bird Cage and the homes and buildings in the area connected with well-known authors like Tennessee Williams, T.S. Eliot, Sara Teasdale, and Kate Chopin.
What are your favorite buildings in the CWE?
It’s hard to choose. For many years, I was a member of Second Presbyterian Church, and I love its glorious interior. It has the largest collection of Tiffany windows west of the Mississippi. All the private places are wonderful, but I secretly adore Washington Terrace and Fullerton’s Westminster Place. I wish I had bought one of those homes in the 1960s, when prices were so low!
A Place Worth Saving: The Story of the Central West End can be viewed online. For more information on Renaissance: A History of the Central West End visit Reedy Press.
