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

A Community Remembered

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 24, 2023

1. A Community Remembered Marker

Inscription. Between the 1880s and 1960s, Clayton was home to a substantial and thriving Black community despite persistent discrimination, limited economic opportunity, and political influence. These early Black Clayton residents were homeowners and renters, employed in various sectors as educators, laborers, domestics, and city workers. They established two of the first churches in Clayton, started businesses, and enriched the cultural life of Clayton in numerous ways. The Black community was established in historic Clayton - and grew there in part because housing discrimination and restrictive covenants prohibited residence elsewhere. The community was uprooted with other residents of that area through rezoning in the mid-twentieth century. As Clayton grew, most Black residents were displaced by racial-residential restrictions. As historic Clayton became the downtown business district, the history of our African American community was largely erased and forgotten. Today the City of Clayton wishes to recognize and celebrate this community and its enduring contributions to our shared history.

Topics. This historical marker is

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listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 38° 38.846′ N, 90° 20.082′ W. Marker is in Clayton, Missouri, in St. Louis County. It is in Downtown Clayton. It is at the intersection of North Hanley Road and Bonhomme Avenue, on the right when traveling south on North Hanley Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 101 N Hanley Rd, Saint Louis MO 63105, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater St. Louis.

It is also 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 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 marker: Attucks School (within shouting distance of this marker); City Hall (approx. ¼ mile away);

Photographed by Darren Jefferson Clay, November 24, 2023

2. A Community Remembered Marker

World War I Memorial (approx. ¼ mile away); The Hanley Farm, Past and Present (approx. 0.3 miles away); Outdoor Kitchen & Hired Man's Room (approx. 0.3 miles away); Hanley-Clayton Donation Helps Establish the St. Louis County Seat (approx. 0.4 miles away); Historic Hanley House (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Baptist Church of Clayton (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Clayton.

Another marker is no longer nearby. Saint Louis County (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Additional keywords. community displacement

Credits. This page was last revised on August 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 27, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. This page has been viewed 709 times since then and 81 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 11, 2023, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.