Urban redevelopment has eliminated many sites important in the history and culture of St. Louis African Americans. Their first neighborhood, in existence before the Civil War, northwest of what was then downtown, is now covered with highways and high-rise buildings. The Mill Creek Valley community areas, which appeared in the last third of the 19th century, suffered a similar fate. Cultural and architectural manifestations of the more recent Ville neighborhood are easier to find. Persons using this guide should note that some of the sites in this publication are private properties not open to the public.
Churches are generally open only during services or by appointment.
All sites are accessible by automobile. We expect to publish a second edition, and we encourage those who use this guide to suggest sites for inclusion in that listing. In the meantime, we hope that this publication will help local residents and visitors become more aware of the rich African American heritage of St. Louis. This publication is issued in conjunction with St. Louis Public Library's celebration of Black History Month for 1992. We are grateful to Boatmen's Banks for its financial support for this celebration and, thereby, for helping underwrite this publication.