Map of Proposed Hi-Pointe Addition/Tuscany Park Historic District

In addition to the nearly 500 buildings, sites and objects recognited as nationally historic for the Hi-Pointe/ De Mun Historic District, there are another 100 plus in the Hi-Pointe Addition and Tuscany Park that we have nominated for the same honors. The State Historic Preservation Office in Jefferson City accepts nominations twice yearly and we have made the August deadline. Here are some facts about our wonderful neighborhood that we'd like to share.

The Hi-Pointe Addition/Tuscany Park Historic District, roughly bounded by Clayton Road, University Lane, San Bonita Avenue, and Big Bend Blvd, is situated within the city limits of Clayton, in St. Louis County. The district encompasses two adjoining residential subdivisions. The arrangement of lots and streets in the district take advantage of the local topography. The Hi-Pointe Addition subdivision is truly an extension of the Hi-Pointe/DeMun Historic District. The majority of the 6600 block of San Bonita Avenue, for example, was designed by the same architects and built by the same builders as the 6400 block. Hence, one sees the same 19th and 20th Century movement and revivalist styles and similar building materials like Spanish tiles and copper guttering. The Addition, therefore, shows the same hints of New Town movement in city planning as the original.

These ideas most likely influenced the design of the smaller Tuscany Park in exhibiting efficient land use patterns and self-sufficient community design that would later become tenets of Wright's design philosophy. Platted in 1922 and 1928, respectively, the two subdivisions now include a total of 132 residential, commercial and secondary buildings (mostly garages). Tuscany Park also was designed to include a common green space to provide open and recreational spaces for its residents. The Hi-Pointe Addition complements (and fits esthetically between) the larger green space provided by the Christian Brothers College campus (now part of Concordia Seminary) built in 1922, and the Concordia Seminary campus built mostly between 1924-1926. Of the resources in the district 112 are contributing, 20 are non-contributing and none were previously listed. The buildings reflect the architectural styles popular during the 1920's and early Ô30's. Though the buildings vary in many respects, they share a visual continuity because of restrictive covenants put in place when the area was platted. Most of the construction in the subdivisions was completed by 1940 and the district retains a high degree of integrity from that period. There have been very few demolitions in the area to date, and modifications to individual buildings have not greatly affected the historic character of the buildings or the district as a whole.

Although not designed by famed architect Henry Wright, even a cursory stroll through the Hi-Pointe and Hi-Pointe Addition subdivisions illustrates that the Addition was meant to supplement and extend the new town city planning style, architecture and landscaping of Wright's Hi-Pointe Subdivision which was first laid out in 1917. The Hi Pointe Addition Subdivision was platted in 1922 by the Frisco Building Company under the signature of A. E. Black, Vice President. The Trustees were Charles W. Largy, L. V. Amend and C. M. Turley with restrictive covenants. They were charged with insuring that the residential lots be provided with appropriate schools, churches, and other conveniences including public parks. Lot property lines were restricted from the actual street in front, alley (if there was one in the back), and other buildings on adjoining lots. Dentists and doctors were allowed to have offices in their residences but commercial activity was limited to the 6700 block of Clayton Road. No gasoline stations or industry was allowed in the plot. No single story building was allowed a flat roof. No wooden porches, fences or buildings were allowed. Garages were restricted to space outside the sight line from the street and all restrictive covenants were to be in effect for a decade (until 1937). Importantly, both Alamo and San Bonita Avenues were designed to have the signature Henry Wright park islands as traffic dividers first used for De Mun Avenue. This feature, never instituted, gives those streets unusual wide, green setbacks for all buildings.

Our search of the City of Clayton archives of building permits demonstrates that the majority of first building permits were issued for constructing the Hi-Pointe Subdivision followed by the Addition Subdivision. For example, the City started issuing permits in 1917 when the original Hi-Pointe Subdivision was platted. The first Hi-Pointe Addition permit was #209 issued in November of 1921 for the construction of the Christian Brothers College (High School) at 6501 Clayton on the southeast corner of the Addition. The heart of Concordia Seminary was constructed along the northern border of the Addition between 1924 and 1926. The propinquity of these two properties to US 40 ("The National Road") undoubtedly served as the major impetus for the initial residential development of both the Hi-Pointe and Hi-Pointe Addition only six miles from downtown St. Louis for commuters. In fact, Concordia Seminary quickly bought up numerous residential properties built in the late 1920s along San Bonita Avenue in both subdivisions to house seminarians and their professors. Our research into the archives of the St. Louis Daily Record indicates the historic centrality of the entire Hi-Pointe area to the populating of the County of St. Louis.

Of the 132 buildings in the original Addition, 57% were constructed during the 1920s. Twenty-two percent were constructed during the Great Depression years of the 1930s. Only 4.5% were constructed during the 1940s partly because most of the plots were already developed but also due to the dampening influence of WW II. Seven percent were constructed during the 1950s with only two built since 1955. Even more striking is the fact that only a few of the original buildings have been torn down and redeveloped in the intervening half-century: Only seven (5%) new buildings have been constructed over the past fifty years. Instead, since 1970 there has been a clear trend from a majority of renters to proud property owners primarily through turning duplexes and multifamily units into condominiums. However, the past five years has seen increasing pressure from realtors and developers to sell our properties for teardown and redevelopment. There is, consequently, a real threat to the architectural and New Town atmosphere of our neighborhoods.

Consequently the area has become one of the most sought after residential locations in the metropolitan area. It is a neighborhood of diverse, high quality residential properties built on a human scale and with a strong sense of community. The District's access to top quality educational institutions, such as Washington and St. Louis University; excellent Clayton Public schools; the Federal, City and County Courts; major centers of commerce in downtown St. Louis and Clayton; Forest Park; cultural activities such as the Symphony, Art and History Museums; world class medical facilities; national sporting events; and a great diversity of shopping areas is unparalleled.

The Henry Wright Vision: His plan accomplished two objectives. First visually, as one progresses down the hill from Seminary Place (AKA University Lane), the heights parallel the topography; second, the step down allowed the developer to achieve relatively high density on small lots while maximizing natural lighting and air circulation. The shorter buildings do not produce a shadow on their neighboring buildings so that all have access to sunlight and air circulation. The subdivision streets are lined with mature trees, and the park-like campuses of Concordia Seminary and Christian Brothers College add to the park-like atmosphere.

The plats and original covenants divided Hi-Pointe Addition into a number of general residential areas. The area was designed to allow middle to upper middle class families in the St. Louis Metropolitan area to move to the area and stay their entire lives. In the Hi-Pointe Addition Subdivision two-story one-bedroom brick apartment buildings and smaller brick duplexes were built on San Bonita Avenue, Clayton Road, Concordia Lane and on St. Rita Avenue. Tuscany Park provided elegant single-family residences by contrast.

Hi-Pointe Addition was built by many of the same developers responsible for much of the construction of the Hi-Pointe/DeMun Historic District. For example, E. A. Wagner, and Schuermann & Neumann are responsible for nearly half the architecture in the 6600 block of San Bonita Avenue. Pomeroy Construction and Harrison Construction were prominent contractors for San Bonita Avenue and Alamo Avenue as was true of the Hi-Pointe/DeMun area. H. A. Barnett built half of the buildings in the 6600 block of Alamo. Other prominent architects with significant presence on San Bonita Avenue and Alamo were Ben Shapiro, D. R. Harrison and F A Avis. The predominant style of the Hi-Pointe Addition was Craftsman Eclectic. However, there is a strong influence of Spanish Eclectic, French Eclectic, Gothic Eclectic and Prairie Eclectic that adds to the esthetic of the neighborhood.

The single-family residences of Tuscany Park, by contrast, were built largely by architects and contractors for occupancy by their own families or relatives. The strongest influence here are eight Colonial Revival single-family dwellings, but the other homes give interesting contrasts of Spanish Eclectic and Prairie Eclectic architecture.

In the multifamily areas, buildings of similar size used similar plans with individuality attained by changing the decorative tile roofs and brick patterns. The commonality of size, scale, and materials throughout the Hi-Pointe Addition/Tuscany Park residential area gives the neighborhood a comfortable sense of unity. The majority of the buildings have cut stone foundations with brickwork walls that are dark in color and vary from heavily textured to smooth faced brick. The brick varies in color including greens, tans, yellows and browns. The brick is generally laid in an American common bond pattern. All colors are muted. The mortar colors vary. The predominant mortar color is black, however, brown, red, light gray and sand are also common. Accents on the buildings are created using limestone, terra cotta and bricks of different colors and textures. Many of the original roofs were terra cotta tiles, employing either red unglazed or green glazed. The other main material used in the roofs of the original buildings is slate. Many of the homes include leaded and art glass windows and doors. The garages matched the homes using the same brick, mortar and in some cases roofing ac