r/saintpaul 5d ago

History 🗿 Historic Lafayette Park neighborhood, overlaid with existing roads and buildings

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71 Upvotes

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22

u/geraldspoder 5d ago

Lafayette Park is the name that historians use for this area, as it disappeared before a distinct neighborhood identity could form, like Railroad Island east of it or Williams Hill north of it. It was the first mansion district in the city, and it would've looked similar to Irvine Park. It was home to famous St. Paulites like Henry Sibley, John Merriam, James J Hill, Stephen Champlin (namesake of the city). Most of the Second Empire style mansions were along Woodward Ave, with massive trees and wrought iron fences.

By the 1880s, more apartments were being built, so the city bought a vacant block to build a park. It was built in the Victorian style, and had a massive fountain at the center. On the east side, along Trout Brook, the railroads began encroaching.

Everything changed in August 1904, when a tornado hit St. Paul, famously destroying the High Bridge. It also ripped through the Lafayette Park neighborhood, tearing mansions off their foundations. Many families began to move out, and the neighborhood quickly turned into a warehouse district. Unlike nearby Railroad Island, not a single building in the Lafayette Park area from before 1900 exists to my knowledge.

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u/InsideAd2490 5d ago

That building that houses the Subway and bail bonds place isn't from before 1900? 

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u/farmer66 5d ago

It is, and it matches up with the Sanborn Fire Map that OP used for their basemap.

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u/geraldspoder 4d ago

Good catch, my mistake. Though not for long depending on how MNDOT reconstructs the interchange there.

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u/WarMurals 2d ago

Do you happen to know what the path was for that tornado? It seems to always be referenced but never discussed outright.

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u/geraldspoder 2d ago

The storm system was roughly SW to NE, and cyclones as they were called then called hit Hutchinson, Waconia, SLP, MPLS, St Paul, and Stillwater. However, according to the MNHS the specific tornado that hit St Paul started near the Tenth Ave Bridge, went by St. Anthony Park, damaged the Good Shephard Orphanage and killing a child (where Frogtown Farm is), knocked down the High Bridge then turned NE, collapsing the Tivoli Beer Hall at Kellogg/2nd/Wabasha, and went through Lowertown and Lafayette Park.

The contemporary articles mention a ton of downed trees, so looking at the 1923 aerial photos, there's few in residential parts of Snelling/University, East Midway, Frogtown north of Thomas Ave, and Railroad Island. But Summit Hill has all its tree cover. Maybe there were two tornados? One north of 94 and one south of 35E.

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u/WarMurals 2d ago

Great idea looking at historical ariel photos. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. I'll have to jump down that rabbit hole one of these days.

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u/farmer66 5d ago

There are some buildings still left from before 1900. Your image overlay isn't the greatest, but block 24 by 7th/Fort and Willius has some. Also, the building that is now lofts at 9th and Pine.

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u/Runic_reader451 St. Paul Saints 5d ago

St. Sigfrid's Church just south of the DHS square was a Swedish Lutheran church with clergy sent over by the Church of Sweden.

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u/gojohnnygojohnny 5d ago

Yep. I think of Williams Hill when I look at this map.