Historic Horse Stables, Tower Grove Park

Built in 1868, these historic stables are adjacent to the Park Foreman's Residence in Tower Grove Park. Constructed from coarse limestone in a deliberately rustic, vernacular style, the building includes a ten-stall horse stable. There is also a bell-tower that is reminiscent of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. Following the design and completion of Tower Grove Park, the landscape was opened to the public in 1872 as a place for strolling along the footpaths, enjoying the formal gardens, and going on horse-drawn carriage rides. Over a century later, in 1989, the park was designated a National Historic Landmark. The horse stables are considered a contributing structure to this historic landscape.

As a Victorian-era landscape, Tower Grove Park was designed with pedestrians in mind. Footpaths as well as carriage trails were created so that visitors could enjoy the gardens and ponds throughout the landscape, which opened to the public in 1872. Horse-drawn carriages were the primary means of transportation for affluent residents of St. Louis during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Such visitors enjoyed carriage rides through the park as a way of escaping the crowds and pollution of the city.

Once automobiles became the primary means of vehicle transport, however, the carriages were put aside for several decades. Then, in 1998, a philanthropist came forward to help the park purchase two Victorian-style carriages and a horse as a way of celebrating the history of the site. Around this same period, the stables underwent a renovation project, upgrading the space and adding a small office to the building. Following this restoration, Tower Grove Park now owns two horses: a Clydesdale gelding named Moonshine, along with a companion animal, a Shetland pony named Sheffield. A full-time stable master cares for these animals in addition to looking after several chickens.

Today, visitors can experience the historic landscape during a carriage ride around the park, followed by a tour of the stables featuring a history of the site. Recently, the park's executive director, Bill Reininger, discussed the inclusion of horses back to Tower Grove Park. In his own words, Reininger described how “the clip-clop of hooves from a horse-drawn carriage ringing out in the Park creates a magical connection to the past.”

Stables, Tower Grove Park. Accessed November 5th, 2022. https://www.towergrovepark.org/blog/stables.

Buildings, Tower Grove Park. Accessed November 5th, 2022. https://www.towergrovepark.org/buildings1.

Map, Tower Grove Park. Accessed November 5th, 2022. https://www.towergrovepark.org/map.

Nomination Form - National Register of Historic Places, NPS. Accessed November 5th, 2022. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/92221a8a-360f-48f9-8289-6fab4fc22b65.

Tower Grove Park - Stables Restoration Project, Trivers. Accessed November 5th, 2022. https://trivers.com/project/tower-grove-park-master-services-agreement/.