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

Tower Grove House

Photographed by Desi Becker, August 12, 2018

1. Tower Grove House Marker

Inscription.
Between 1849 and 1851, architect George I. Barnett simultaneously designed Henry Shaw's city and country residences. Tower Grove House was Shaw's elegant Italianate country home. Making a dramatic impression against the landscape, it was designed to stand alone, approached by a sweeping carriage road across a sea of tall grasses. This land was originally wild prairie, featuring a small grove of sapling sassafras. This, along with the home's distinctive tower, gave rise to the name "Tower Grove."

Upon Shaw's death in 1889, the house was inhabited by the Garden's first director, Dr. William Trelease. The original east wing was replaced with the larger, more symmetrical wing we see today to accommodate his family. The home has undergone two extensive renovations, first in 1953 and again in 2005. Today it is open to the public and serves as a historic house museum, complete with furniture and materials once belonging to Shaw.

Erected by Missouri Botanical Garden.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Architecture. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.

Location. 38° 36.681′ N, 90° 15.502′ W.

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Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Missouri Botanical Garden. It can be reached from Tower Grove Avenue north of Magnolia Avenue, on the right when traveling south. The marker stands on the grounds of the Missouri Botanical Gardens. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4344 Shaw Boulevard, Saint Louis MO 63110, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

and in the Great River Road Region.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Medicinal Herbs (here, next to this marker); Medicinal: Overharvesting (here, next to this marker); Dyes (a few steps from this marker); Culinary Herbs (a few steps from this marker); Utility Herbs (a few steps from this marker); St. Louis Herb Society Herb Garden (a few steps from

The Tower Grove House image. Click for full size.

By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 26, 2023

2. The Tower Grove House

this marker); St. Louis Herb Society Container Garden (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Tower Grove House (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2018. This page has been viewed 528 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 12, 2018, by Desi Becker of Brentwood, Missouri. 2. submitted on March 31, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.