Holly Hills Neighborhood Overview

Location

The neighborhood is defined by Bates and Walsh on the Northeast, Holly Hills on the Southwest, Leona and the Missouri Pacific Railroad on the Northwest and Grand on the Southeast. It is surrounded by Carondelet Park and the Boulevard Heights, Bevo Mill, Dutchtown, and Carondelet neighborhoods.

History

In the early 1920s, developer William A Federer, with partners Gus Arendes and Don Livingston Sr., purchased land from the Missouri Pacific Railroad and developed that land as the Holly Hills neighborhood. The name "Holly Hills" derived from Hollywood and was intended to reflect a similar level of grace and elegance. The first building permit in the community was issued in 1926. An important element of Federer's plan was to construct homes of many different styles, sizes, and characters, from grand German-style castles to quaint country cottages to the more typical St. Louis City Arts-and-Crafts bungalows. The home in which Federer resided has remained in the family and is now lovingly maintained by his daughter and her family. [Source: History of Carondelet, by NiNi Harris ((c) 1991, Southern Commercial Bank).]