Walk alongside local author Kathy Schrenk as she shows off the best way to explore her hometown of Kirkwood. Kathy did a lot of her research at Mudd’s Grove in the Gould Research Library. She writes: “This book would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the Kirkwood Historical Society volunteers . . . as I looked through the binders and books full of meticulously curated information.”
Kirkwood is one of St Louis County’s oldest and best-preserved suburbs. It was born as a planned community, laid out in a grid spreading from the Pacific Railroad tracks placed in the 1850s and envisioned as a city escape. Its passion for historic preservation makes nearly every neighborhood a joy to walk through, and Kirkwood: A Walk through History provides the quintessential guide of maximizing a stroll through its most interesting spots. Explore Kirkwood’s preserved rail stations, Italianate mansions, works of famous architects, and more. Some of the walks in this book even allow the curious history buff to learn unvarnished tales of the not-so-rosy past as well. Find little-known facts and unexpected stories in Kirkwood’s busiest neighborhoods like downtown and the streets around Kirkwood Park. Then get the inside scoop on the less polished side of Kirkwood history in neighborhoods like Meacham Park and Meramec Highlands. You’ll see the site of a great 1920s train wreck and contemplate one of the oldest cemeteries for Black Americans west of the Mississippi River.
Hosted by Kirkwood Library and the Kirkwood Historical Society.