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Welcome To The
Lafayette Park Conservancy

The Lafayette Park Conservancy was founded in 2001, on the 150th anniversary of the creation of Lafayette Park in Saint Louis, Missouri. The Conservancy's mission is to preserve and restore the park's historic legacy.

Established by city ordinance in 1851, Lafayette Park is the oldest developed urban park west of the Mississippi River. It first served as a parade ground during the Civil War. Extensively landscaped after the war by the early landscape architect, Maximillian Kern, the park truly came into its own during the Victorian "Gilded Age" of the late 1800s. As many as 10,000 city residents would visit the park on a typical Sunday to enjoy concert bands, cross the lake in a swan boat, stroll among the beautifully maintained floral displays, or admire the fine townhouses and mansions surrounding the park.

Lafayette Square, the neighborhood surrounding the park, experienced serious decline during the first part of the twentieth century. By the late 1960s, however, intrepid urban pioneers were beginning to buy and restore its fine homes, eventually bringing Lafayette Square national recognition as an outstanding example of urban renewal, with more than 375 restored Victorian homes on display. Lafayette Park, the central jewel of the Lafayette Square neighborhood, richly deserves its status as both a place of beauty and a vitally important part of Saint Louis history.

Want To Know More? - We are continuing to revise our website to give you more of the information you're looking for--feel free to explore and let us know what you think. More changes are planned, so keep checking in to view the latest updates.

Copyright (C) 2005-2008 Lafayette Park Conservancy