Penrose Self Reliant Neighborhood
Community Organizations
Mathew Dickey Boys & Girls Club
4245 North Kingshighway at Penrose
The Mathew Dickey Boys Club began in 1959 with a meeting between Martin L. Mathews and Hubert "Dickey" Ballentine, each a coach of a neighborhood baseball team. The two men then began to organize additional athletic teams, their goal being to keep boys on the playing field and off the street. As the number of players grew, Mathew M. Ballentine secured a small storefront building to serve as a club house. The present facility built in 1981 covers 12 acres of ground and houses athletic, recreational, educational, and cultural-enrichment activities, along with offices meeting spaces and classrooms. The club began programs for girls in 1986 offering education, arts and culture, personal development and athletics. Today the club serves more than 40,000 youth, ages 6 to 18, from throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan region.
Julia Davis Branch Library
4415 Natural Bridge near Newstead
The Julia Davis Branch Library, which opened its new building in February 1993, honors Dr. Julia Davis, whose initial gift of $2500 in 1961 was used to begin the St. Louis Public Library's Julia Davis Collection of Negro and African Literature and Culture. Dr. Davis, a well known educator and historian graduated from Sumner High School and Stowe Teachers College. She taught in the St. Louis Public Schools From 1913 until 1961, spending 31 of those years at Simmons High School in the Ville. The Library, built on land donated by Commerce Bank is a 15,000-square-foot structure with capacity for 50,000 books. Designed by Architect Russell Lewis, the building features a 120-seat auditorium and two meeting rooms. The new Library houses the Dr. Julia Davis Research Collection; computers and educational software are available for public use.
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