Fountain Park

Fountain Park was created in 1857 when the Aubert Place subdivision was laid out by John Hay. Located at the center of a residential neighborhood, the oval-shaped green space is intersected by brick pathways and old-growth oak trees. The land was given to the City of St. Louis in 1889, at which time, it acquired the name Fountain Park, due to the decorative iron water fountain installed in the 1.5-acre park. A gift from the St. Louis Merchants' Exchange, the fountain was reconstructed in 1915. It remains in good working order today. The park also contains a bronze statue of the U.S. Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., which was installed in 1978. Fountain Park is included on the National Register of Historic Places under the listing for "Aubert Place," added in October 1982.

Fountain Park and the surrounding residential area in north St. Louis were originally known as Aubert Place. This neighborhood is bounded by Kingshighway Boulevard to the west, Walton Avenue to the east, Delmar Boulevard to the south, and Dr. Martin Luther King Drive to the north. Established by John Hay in 1857, Aubert Place was laid out as a group of eight-block lots surrounding an oval-shaped park at the center. Brick footpaths were created to traverse the park, which was planted with oak trees. A multi-tiered water fountain was installed in the middle of landscape. This decorative iron water feature was a gift from the St. Louis Merchants' Exchange.

In the late nineteenth century, the park and the surrounding residential area were envisioned as a cohesive neighborhood that would include two schools, a firehouse, a hotel, and two religious edifices. Although modifications were made to the original plan, some of these buildings were constructed. Also, after the land was transferred to the city, work began in earnest to transform the park from a vacant lot into a beautified landscape with flowers and trees. A city guidebook from 1902 described Fountain Park as:

"... a small breathing place in a thickly settled neighborhood, surrounded on all sides by handsome residences, and is an admirable playground for children. It contains but an acre and a half but is artistically laid out with walks, and the flower beds make it a bower of beauty." 

According to the Office of Preservation Research, Fountain Park was the centerpiece of Aubert Place, which "developed as a middle-class streetcar suburb on the edge of the elite Central West End." Within this residential neighborhood, deed restrictions sought to prevent industrial blight by prohibiting the operation of chemical works, slaughter houses, or factories at Aubert Place. However, similar to other parts of the city, other types of restrictive real estate practices were also utilized to keep the neighborhood racially segregated until the mid-twentieth century, when such practices were successfully challenged and overturned. In a brief history of the neighborhood, the Office of Preservation Research has described how:

"the neighborhood was segregated through the real estate practice of restrictive covenants, until after the Supreme Court issued its ruling in the case of Shelley v. Kramer in 1948 — a case that originated in St. Louis not far away at 4600 Cote Brilliante Avenue. An earlier case of fighting deed restrictions dates back to 1943 at nearby Lewis Place, where African-American dentist Dr. Richard Layne successfully purchased a house on the restricted private place."

Because of the neighborhood's history, in which segregation was challenged through high-profile court cases that succeeded in striking down the restrictive real estate covenants at Aubert Place, Fountain Park was later selected as the location for a statue of the U.S. Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The eleven-foot bronze statue was accompanied by a plaque: "His Dream -- Our Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929 - 1968." Dr. King spoke several times in St. Louis between 1960 and 1963; this is the only known statue of him anywhere in the city. Dedicated on May 7, 1978, the statue of Dr. King was designed by the acclaimed St. Louis sculptor, Rudolph Torrini, who cast the life-size sculpture in Italy. Born in St. Louis, Torrini studied at the Accademia de Belle Arti in Florence before receiving an MFA from the University of Notre Dame. He served as the Chair of the Art Department at Fontbonne University in St. Louis.

In October 1982, Fountain Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places under the listing for "Aubert Place." The bronze statue of Dr. King and the decorative water fountain contribute to this historic landscape. Today, the neighborhood that surrounds Fountain Park includes middle-class homes in various conditions. Several other historic buildings also remain standing, some of which are well-preserved, while others are in need of restoration. Historic buildings include the Euclid School, the old St. Louis Firehouse, and a group of religious edifices (churches and temples) on the southwest side of the park, known as the Holy Corners Historic District. One of the churches (Second Baptist) was recently slated for redevelopment. It is soon to become the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, a new museum & research center, event venue, and production facility highlighting the history of gospel music in St. Louis.

Fountain Park, St. Louis City Gov.. Accessed December 8th, 2022. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/live-work/community/neighborhoods/fountain-park/.

Fountain Park, ST. LOUIS-MO.GOV. Accessed December 8th, 2022. https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/parks/parks/browse-parks/view-park.cfm?parkID=38&parkName=Fountain+Park.

Groth, Mark and Shannon. THE FOUNTAIN PARK NEIGHBORHOOD, December 24th, 2010. Accessed December 11th, 2022. http://www.stlouiscitytalk.com/posts/2010/12/fountain-park-neighborhood.

Aubert Place (Fountain Park) - National Register Nomination Form, Missouri State Parks. Accessed December 11th, 2022. https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Aubert%20Place.pdf.

Allen, Michael R. . Finding Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in St. Louis, Preservation Research Office. January 21st, 2013. Accessed December 11th, 2022. http://preservationresearch.com/north-st-louis/finding-dr-martin-luther-king-in-st-louis/.