Overland in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Wildwood Estate
1903
| | City of Overland | |
Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 1, 2020
1. Wildwood Estate Marker
Erected by Overland Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Parks & Recreational Areas. In addition, it is included in the Missouri, Overland Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 38° 42.182′ N, 90° 23.367′ W. Marker was in Overland, Missouri, in St. Louis County. It could be reached from Ashby Road 0.1 miles south of Midland Boulevard, on the left when traveling south. Marker was on the grounds of Wild Acres Park, near the west entrance. It was in front of the Holy Family Seminary building. The building is no longer standing. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 2500 Ashby Rd, Saint Louis MO 63114, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Greater St. Louis. It was also in the American Midwest, in the Lewis & Clark Corridor, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, 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 location: Creve Coeur Lake Streetcar (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct
this page online
Regarding Wildwood Estate. Garnett was a wealthy paper manufacturer at the time he built his estate. He placed it off the Creve Coeur Lake streetcar line. In addition to his brick home, he also built a cottage for his gardener; an icehouse which was stocked from the lake; chicken house; pump and well house; large stable complete with sleeping rooms and running water; and a complete carpenter and blacksmith shop. Many of the interiors are still in existence.
In 1909, the estate was purchased by Louis A. Cella, who at one time was reputed to be the richest man in the city. After Cella died in 1918, the estate was sold to a grocer, Frank Lind and his wife Della, where they lived until his death
Photographed by Jason Voigt, March 1, 2020
2. Wildwood Estate Marker
In 1994, the property was subdivided when Mission Omega bought the house and related buildings on the west portion of the property. The following year, residents of the City of Overland approved a 3½% utility tax increase which permitted the purchase of the remaining 25.17 acres of the future Wild Acres Park. The park was dedicated on April 20, 1997.
History courtesy of the Overland Historical Society
Additional commentary.
1. Missing Building and Marker
On June 29, 2025, I visited this property and could not find the marker anywhere. The building shown on the marker page does not seem to exist either. Three structures remain and although one is similar in architecture, it is not the same nor can I see how it could have been renovated to look like the one I saw. The second building is a simple ground floor office-style brick building and the third is a bungalow style residential building being used as an office evidently. Google Maps currently shows the three buildings as they appeared to me and there is a flat, mostly barren area where the building in the photo perhaps once stood.
The adjacent Wild Acres Park (the portion not sold to the Congregation of Holy Family) is under renovation (lake renovation) and the walking trail is fenced off from the lake front and bathrooms making it inaccessible from the parking area.
— Submitted June 30, 2025, by Garrett Koch of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 22, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 1,615 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 22, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
