Piper Palm House

Built in 1878, the Piper Palm House holds the distinction of being the oldest greenhouse located west of the Mississippi River. Situated at Tower Grove Park, it was constructed as a place to overwinter the park's collection of tropical plants. In 1885, a nearly identical building, the Piper Plant House, was constructed adjacent to it. Although both structures were primarily used as greenhouses since the late nineteenth century, the Piper Palm House now serves as a venue for weddings and other special events.

Englishman Henry Shaw relocated to the U.S. and became a successful merchant in St. Louis by selling supplies to settlers as the nation expanded westward. Retiring at an early age with considerable wealth, he became a philanthropist, establishing the Missouri Botanical Garden and the adjacent Tower Grove Park, which opened in 1872.

Both projects were influenced by Shaw's return trip to London, England, where he viewed the 1851 Great Exhibition that was held in the Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace was a gigantic conservatory filled with artifacts, innovations, and plants from around the world. These exhibits and displays were intended to symbolize the wealth of the British Empire.

Using his own funds to establish Tower Grove Park in St. Louis, Henry Shaw commissioned the Piper Palm House as a greenhouse for the park's collection of tropical plants, such as palms and orange trees. Situated within an open air plaza that looks out onto the historic waterlily ponds, the conservatory-style building features huge windows and an atrium ceiling that allows considerable light to enter.

Today a venue for weddings and corporate events, the brick palm house was originally designed to house lush tropical plants that required warm temperatures and sufficient sunlight. At one time, it was also used as a Victorian tea house. There are still several towering palm plants that line the interior of the space. These are juxtaposed between marble busts of musical composers, which have been placed along the main interior walls.

The Piper Palm House is included among the park's historic structures in the new illustrated book, Tower Grove Park: Common Ground and Grateful Shade. Written by Amanda E. Doyle, the book details the park's founding and history, including its Victorian-era structures, as well as its ecological significance. It was published in 2022 to commemorate the sesquicentennial, or 150th Anniversary, of the park.

Historic Buildings, Tower Grove Park. Accessed November 7th, 2022. https://www.towergrovepark.org/buildings1#:.

Piper Palm House, Tower Grove Park. Accessed November 7th, 2022. https://www.towergrovepark.org/piper-palm-house-1.

Piper Palm House Virtual Tour, YouTube. Accessed November 7th, 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwBPBKJ_-Y&t=1s.

Doyle, Amanda E. . Tower Grove Park: Common Ground and Grateful Shade. Reedy Press.

Amanda E. Doyle. Tower Grove Park: Common Ground and Grateful Shade Since 1872, St. Louis in Tune. Accessed November 7th, 2022. https://saint-louis-in-tune.captivate.fm/episode/tower-grove-park-common-ground-and-grateful-shade-since-1872.