Soulard Star Directory 2025

✯ SOULARD STAR DIRECTORY | 2025 4 A BRIEF HISTORY OF SOULARD By Jay Gibbs About 1840, the growing city of St. Louis reached south into the “Frenchtown” area, a mix of common fields and French-owned farms.With urbanization encroaching, various Frenchtown landowners hired surveyors to stake out streets, alleys and salable lots, continuing the traditional urban grid. One landowner, Julia Soulard, donated the land to establish a public market in the midst of her newly platted blocks. From the 1830s to the 1920s, European immigrants poured into America in successive waves and St. Louis burgeoned. Immigrants built Soulard’s buildings on European-style narrow lots using Americanized architectural styles including Federal, Italianate and Second Empire, all fashioned in ubiquitous red brick.The constantly shifting, diverse population shared the same streets, stores, schools and churches. FollowingWWII, suburban flight began, fueled by the G.I. Bill and the dream of home ownership.Those of means fled crowded old city neighborhoods. From 1950 to 1970, St. Louis lost well over 200,000 residents. Soulard was affected negatively in all measurable ways. By 1970 Soulard was a bona fide slum. At that nadir, social activists and urban pioneers began Soulard’s renaissance by organizing its designation as a Federal and Local Historic District. Rehabbers began saving buildings. By the 1980s, the neighborhood stirred back to life.Today Soulard is again a thriving neighborhood, still anchored by its namesake farmers market, still rich in architectural charm, and still socially and economically diverse. For more information about Soulard, visit these websites: soulard.org facebook.com/soulardsaintlouis soulard.nextdoor.com stlouis-mo.gov/neighborhoods (Select Soulard)