GOV
Boulevard Heights Neighborhood Overview
Information concerning the neighborhood history, characteristics, institutions and organizations, planning and development.
Location
The Boulevard Heights boundaries are defined by the City limits to the South, Gravois to the West, and I-55 to Grand to Loughborough and Leona on the East.
History
Much of the land that encompasses Boulevard Heights was previously known as Morganford. The area east of Morganford Road had previously been the southern portion of the Carondelet Commonfields. Americans and newly arrived German immigrants began to subdivide this land into smaller residential portions by the early 1870s. Some of the landholders previous to subdivision were Rosell M. Field, Chris Koeln, and James Bowlin. Although several subdivisions were in place along Grand Avenue before 1910, a great majority of Boulevard Heights had not been fully developed until after the Second World War.
The City bought Carondelet Park in 1875 for $179.71. In the past, as well as today, Carondelet Park has served Southside residents with space for recreation. It is also an important component of the adjacent neighborhoods. Located within the park is the Alexander Lyle mansion, which was built in 1842. The house and the land from which Carondelet Park was created served as Lyle's estate. Christy Park was purchased by the City in 1910 and likewise serves the community with 32 acres of recreational space. The River Des Peres Greens, acquired by the City in 1926, provides walking trails for its surrounding residents.
Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic parish was founded in 1951 by Reverend Joseph G. Hoelting. The construction of the first school and church buildings did not begin until a year later. Its location on the 4000 block of Blow Street remains an important community establishment. Another important church in the neighborhood is the St. Lucas Evangelical Lutheran Church at 7100 Morganford Road, which was founded in 1905. It is the first Slovak Lutheran Church west of the Mississippi. The Foursquare Church, completed in 1962, and the Christy Park General Baptist Church, opened in 1961, are also spiritual anchors in the Boulevard Heights neighborhood.
