Looking east into Parkview late 1906 or early '07.  Westgate is in the foreground meeting Center and Waterman on the right.

     With the arrival of June 1906 the first building permits were issued.  Construction on twelve houses was begun that year nearly all of which are visible in the above photo from The Siege of University City, a book defending University City's controversial founder E.G. Lewis and his projects.  Eight houses appeared in a cluster in the 6200 block of Waterman (grouping in the upper right); one house on McPherson (near the photo's upper center) also was in the City of St. Louis.  The three other houses were spread out on Washington - one near Skinker and two across from Washington Park.  The latter two houses, clearly visible on the left side of the photo, were the first two houses in Parkview built outside the City Limits, seemingly as assurance to buyers in this barren field that development would occur as promised throughout the tract.

Of those first eight houses on Waterman, four were built by McCormick-Kilgen-Rule on speculation.  All four were in the Colonial Revival style.  The three houses on Washington probably were also "spec" houses.  But at least four of the homes begun in 1906 were commissioned by owners who intended to become long-term residents.  The following year, 1907, saw only eight new houses under construction, two more on Waterman, two on Westminster and four on McPherson, all but one within the limits of the City of St. Louis.  University City had been incorporated in September of  1906 including in its boundaries the county portion of Parkview.  Beredith Reality fought this incorporation in court and lost.  Uncertainty over the future of Parkview or University City, and perhaps the financial "panic" of that year undoubtedly affected people's willingness to build homes in Parkview.  At the end of 1907, two years after its plat had been filed,  Parkview consisted of only twenty houses standing awkwardly among a scattering of spindly saplings on a stubbly plain.
 

The next two years, 1908 and 1909, saw a tremendous spurt of activity, with 71 houses underway.  Whereas the earlier houses were mostly Colonial Revival or Tudor Revival in style, the majority of new houses had clear Arts and Crafts stylistic influence on both the exterior and interior.  In 1908 alone, more than a dozen houses on Washington were built as Parkview versions of the Arts and Crafts house, distinguished by the skillful and beautiful brick and carpentry work of St. Louis craftsmen and, owing to relatively narrow lots, a taller and more compact form. 

By 1914, about 85% of Parkview's 255 houses had been completed.  The range of lot sizes and construction prices required by the indenture was producing varying house sizes and some economic diversity among the homeowners.  The wide variety of architectural styles and details added visual diversity to the character of the neighborhood.  But Pitzman's brilliant design, requiring uniform setbacks to establish order and introducing grace with the form of the gently curving streets, smoothly accommodated the diversity of its parts.  As it developed, the subdivision became recognizable as a unique entity within its larger urban context, called by many who know it an urban oasis. This rich texture was particularly noted in 1986 when Parkview was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Over the last century, Parkview has been home to  people with local, state, national and international reputations in science, politics, sports, business, the professions and the arts.  And while the world has changed, Parkview retains its integrity and gives to all who experience it a sense of place. 

Jesse H. Ambler stands on his newly purchased vacant lot at the corner of Washington and Center in the spring of 1909.  Jesse and Sarah Ambler were recent St. Louis transplants from Pittsburgh.  The home they built remained in their family for over 80 years, passing to their son who raised a family and lived in the house until his death in 1993.   --From the Ambler collection in the Parkview Archives. 

 

Parkview streetlights through the years, in order from left to right:  original gas light, electrified in the 1920s, 1960s replacement, and the current fixture.  And, if you've made it this far, the answer to the trivia question is 1916!

A Westgate resident circa 1918.
 --From the Parkview archives.

If you've enjoyed this snippet of Parkview's history and want to read more along side many more historic photographs taken over the years from 1905 to 2005, we have just your ticket - Parkview: A St. Louis Urban Oasis 1905 - 2005.  The product of a dedicated group of Parkview neighbors, this commemorative book updates and expands Parkview's 75th anniversary book, now out of print.  The book is available at many local bookstores.  If you cannot locate a source please just send an email to the Parkview webmaster, or contact the book's publisher - Virginia Publishing located in St. Louis (City) on Delmar.

 

A Pershing resident circa 1923.
 --From the Parkview archives.