Historic Hanley House

Historic Hanley House. . Built in 1855 by Martin Franklin Henley, the Historic Hanley House is the oldest building in the City of Clayton and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house once stood on just over 100 acres of farmland. In 1876, Martin F. Hanley and his wife, Cyrene, joined with their neighbor, Ralph Clayton, to donate 104 acres of land to help establish Clayton as the County Seat. , Mr. Hanley was not just a farmer but also served as Justice of the Peace and operated a market, tavern, wood shop and blacksmith shop. He made plows and farming implements for many familiar St. Louis families including the Clayton's, Sappington's, Bissel's, Papin's and Chouteau's, just to name a few. Mr. Hanley and his wife had 11 children - 10 of whom survived to adulthood. The family worked together to make this farm a success. The women made butter and sewed hickory shirts to be sold at the market, the men worked in the fields and the young children gathered eggs in the barnyard. , In 1968, the City of Clayton purchased the Hanley House from family descendants and began a 3 year restoration before opening its doors as a museum. Today, the historic house possesses much of the family's original furnishings, family letters and artifacts that help to tell a compelling story of the day-to-day life in 19th century Missouri. The main house and the summer kitchen, also serving as the slave quarter on the property, survive in their original location. This is especially fortunate as few examples remain standing in Missouri today. During restoration, the City of Clayton took archaeological evidence and reconstructed the barnyard fence, well house and outhouse on their original foundations. , We hope that you will take the time to pass through the fence gate, walk the grounds and get an up-close view of a 19th century farming family.