Kirkwood . . . A St. Louis Treasure
Known as the Queen of the Suburbs, Kirkwood is the first planned suburb west of the Mississippi River. This distinction came about in the mid 1800s with the building of the Pacific Railroad. The City is named for James Pugh Kirkwood, the engineer in charge of locating, surveying, and building the railroad.
Kirkwood’s long history is distinguished by its many accomplishments, including being the first community in St. Louis County to have a four-year public high school, a tax-supported library and a nursing home. It also has the oldest police department.
The train station, located in the heart of Kirkwood, was built in 1893 and is one of two Kirkwood buildings on the National Register of Historic Places – the other is Mudd’s Grove. The depot has remained an active, working station throughout more than a century of service and currently serves as a stop for Amtrak with daily trains available to St. Louis, Kansas City, and points beyond.