The Old Police Station / Park House in Lafayette Park

The Old Police Station, also, Park House in Lafayette Park. . , The Victorian Park House in Lafayette Park was built as a police station in 1867. The police were stationed in Lafayette Park to deal with the large crowds drawn to park events such as concerts at one of the bandstands. The building was enlarged in 1870. The May 23, 1877 edition of the St. Louis Republican reported, " Visitors to Lafayette Park Sunday, between 1 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. totaled 13,749.", The police ceased operations at the Park House in 1919. The City of St. Louis assumed responsibility of the park in 1943, converting the Police Station to a groundkeeper's residence. Later, it became known as the Park House., Over the next 30 years the building fell into disrepair and was abandoned. However, in 1975, the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee (LSRC) opened it after extensive renovations, with the purpose of drawing new residents interested in the restoration of the neighborhood. A second restoration was overtaken in 2005-2008 and included the reconstruction of the small gazebo at the rear of the Park House., Today, the Park House serves as a meeting place for many neighborhood groups and is frequently the site for a variety of small local events.