Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Site of First Mormon Meeting Place in St. Louis

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, September 11, 2017

1. Site of First Mormon Meeting Place in St. Louis Marker

Inscription.
On this site from 1854 to 1857 stood the building used as the first Mormon Church in the St. Louis area.

Beginning in 1831, and during the difficult days of persecution that followed, St. Louis provided an oasis of tolerance and security and was an economic and cultural metropolis offering religious freedom and employment to thousands of local Mormons and convert-immigrants en route to western Missouri, Illinois and later to Utah.

This marker is erected in appreciation of the continuing kindness St. Louis has extended to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon).

Erected 1975 by Mormon Pioneer Trail Foundation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1854.

Location. 38° 37.794′ N, 90° 11.224′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of Washington Avenue and North 4th Street, on the right when traveling west on Washington Avenue. Marker is a large, oblong metal plaque, mounted at waist-level, directly on the Missouri Athletic Club building, at the southeast corner and facing south toward Washington Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 405 Washington Avenue, Saint Louis MO 63102, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Missouri Athletic Club (within shouting distance of this marker); 1997 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (about 600 feet away); 1996 (about 600 feet away); 1995 (about 600 feet away); 1994 (about 700 feet away); Teenager Samuel Clemens (about 700 feet away); Robert J. Baer Plaza (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.

Also see . . . St Louis Mormon Historical Society bulletin. The Mormon church operated a newspaper, the St. Louis Luminary, from November 1854 to December 1855. The periodical served the large community of transient Latter-day Saints, many of whom stopped in St. Louis to replenish their strength (and funds) after the first leg of their journey to the Salt Lake Valley. In 1855, the paper commented, “There is probably no city in the world where Latter-day Saints are more respected, and where they may sooner obtain an outfit for Utah..." (Submitted on August 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Site of First Mormon Meeting Place Marker (<i>wide view; marker visible near lower right corner</i>) image. Click for full size.

2. Site of First Mormon Meeting Place Marker (wide view; marker visible near lower right corner)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 474 times since then and 39 times this year. Last updated on October 15, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 27, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.