Historical Marker: German Settlers

This historical marker on Cherokee Street recognizes the lives and homes of early German residents in St. Louis. During the 1830s, there was an influx of German immigrants arriving in St. Louis. Before the 1820s, St. Louis was populated mostly by the French and Spanish. In 1824, German migrant and writer Gottfried Duden arrived in St. Louis and he lived there until 1827. Upon returning to Germany, Duden wrote a book about his time in Missouri. That book, alongside other books published during the period, influenced other Germans to migrate to St. Louis. Many Germans were driven to emigrate due to issues at home such as churches being forced to unite and heavy taxation. There were also German emigration societies being organized which encouraged people to emigrate. The two settlers' homes on Cherokee Street serve as early examples of the types of houses German immigrants built as they flooded into St. Louis cities and neighborhoods during the 1830s.

These houses located on Cherokee Street, an area once dominated by German immigrants, is representative of the style of house built by German pioneers who settled south of St. Louis. The houses built by German immigrants in the mid-19th century were typically built as farm houses, as represented by these settlers' homes. These houses were likely built before the area became urbanized, indicated by the gables facing the street. These houses are also atypical in their construction due to the breezeway that connects them. Otherwise, these are prime examples of early German homes in St. Louis.

In the 1850s, St. Louis experienced a mass migration of German immigrants to the area which led to downtown St. Louis and the neighborhood of Soulard being dominated by Germans. Germans began building their houses on City Cemetery, which had been established in 1842, and which had to become Benton Park in order to accommodate the new migrants. All the bodies buried at City Cemetery were moved to Bellefontaine Cemetery. In building their small houses in Benton Park, the Germans effectively urbanized the area. By the 1880s and 1890s, Benton Park grew into a heavily populated city with streetcars and successful business districts such as Gravois Road, Jackson Avenue, and Cherokee Street. The area would remain a prosperous hub for German immigrants and business until the 20th century when redlining and suburban flight led to depopulation.

The two settlers' homes on Cherokee Street are considered the oldest houses in the area, following the Chatillon DeMenil Mansion. It is believed that the houses were built sometimes between the mid-1850s and the early 1860s. Due to its "flat wooden lintels and tall thin windows with checkered window panes," it is believed that the house on the right was built first as these characteristics are typical of German homes built in the 1850s. The house on the left was likely built a few years later. It was built in the Federal transitional style with slightly arched windows. It also features a Baltimore chimney roofline, which was a popular architectural feature during this period in St. Louis. Today, the houses are situated along the Cherokee Antique Row district.

Settlers' Homes, Historical Marker Database. Accessed December 21st, 2022. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=124510.

Germans in St. Louis, St. Louis Genealogical Society. Accessed December 21st, 2022. https://stlgs.org/research-2/community/ethnic/germans.

Jackson, Nathan. St. Louis Neighborhoods: Benton Park/Cherokee Street, St. Louis History and Architecture. Accessed December 21st, 2022. https://www.stlhistoryandarchitecture.com/neighborhoods.

Jackson, Nathan. Cherokee Street Early German Settlers Homes, St. Louis History and Architecture. Accessed December 21st, 2022. https://www.stlhistoryandarchitecture.com/benton-park-cherokee-street/8pvkmosvkusdvc5m0goztojupm8bpn.