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Webster Groves, MO

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Webster Groves, MO

Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 24,010 at the 2020 census. The city is home to the main campus of Webster University.

Webster Groves is approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of the St. Louis city limits, and 10 miles (16 km) southwest of downtown St. Louis, in an area known to fur trappers and Missouri, Osage, and Dakota indigenous people, until 1802, as the Dry Ridge. In the early 19th century, this region, once a part of the Louisiana Territory, was changing from Spanish to French ownership, and a system of land grants was inaugurated to promote immigration. During the early period of Spanish rule, officials gave land to settlers as a check against the English.

As part of this program, in 1802, Grégoire Sarpy was granted 6,002 acres (2,429 ha) by Charles de Hault Delassus, the last Spanish lieutenant governor of the Illinois Country. The land grant covered the major area now known as Webster Groves.

Webster Groves' location on the Pacific Railroad line led to its development as a suburb. In 1892 the developers of Webster Park, an early housing subdivision, promoted the new community as the "Queen of the Suburbs", offering residents superb housing options in a country-like atmosphere, as well as a swift commute to downtown St. Louis jobs. The first public school in the community was Douglass Elementary School, founded as a separate but equal school for African-American children in the post-Civil War black community in North Webster. In the 1920s, the school grew into Douglass High School, the only high school in St. Louis County for black students. The school operated until 1956 when the U.S. Supreme Court required desegregation.

As a suburban municipality, Webster Groves has its origins as five separate communities along adjacent railroad lines. Webster, Old Orchard, Webster Park, Tuxedo Park, and Selma merged in 1896 to implement public services and develop a unified city government. Since then, Webster Groves' tree-lined streets and abundance of single-family homes have continued to attract people to the area as a "great place to live, work and play", not solely for the wealthy commuter suburb that early developers envisioned but for families that cut across all socioeconomic lines. The geographic and economic diversity of Webster Groves is evident in its variety of neighborhoods.

In the 1960s, Webster Groves was featured in 16 In Webster Groves, a televised documentary that writer Jonathan Franzen, a native of Webster Groves, described in his memoir The Discomfort Zone as an "early experiment in hour-long prime-time sociology". According to Franzen, it depicted Webster Groves High School, which he attended only a few years after the documentary's broadcast, as being "ruled by a tiny elite of 'soshies' who made life gray and marginal for the great majority of students who weren’t 'football captains,' 'cheerleaders' or 'dance queens'"; the school was depicted as having a "student body obsessed with grades, cars, and money." Franzen thought "the Webster Groves depicted in it bears minimal resemblance to the friendly, unpretentious town I knew when I was growing up."

Webster Groves was the setting for the 1974–75 NBC television series Lucas Tanner.

In the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, Webster Groves High School was again profiled, this time in Time, which described Webster Groves as a "pretty town of old elms and deep porches" and a "mix of $90,000 cottages and $750,000 homes, young marrieds and old-line families and transient middle managers assigned to a stint in the St. Louis office who are looking for a comfortable place to settle and keep their kids on the track toward prosperity."

The Webster Groves High School Statesmen maintain one of the oldest high school football rivalries west of the Mississippi River with the Pioneers of Kirkwood High School. The two teams typically play each other in the Missouri Turkey Day Game each Thanksgiving, if their playoff schedules permit it; they also have faced each other in the state playoff tournaments several times in recent years.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.90 square miles (15.28 km2), all land. Webster Groves is bounded to the east by Shrewsbury, on the north by Maplewood, Brentwood, and Rock Hill, to the west by Glendale, Oakland, and Crestwood, and on the south by Affton and Marlborough.

Webster Groves places a strong emphasis on health and wellness, offering a range of facilities and programs to support residents' well-being. The presence of healthcare facilities like SSM Health St. Clare Hospital and Mercy Hospital South St. Louis ensures residents have access to quality medical services. For a relaxing spa day, visit Vitality Unlimited Spa or the Aquarius Wellness Center for Healing Arts to enjoy massages, skincare, and more. For those interested in fitness, the Webster Groves Fitness Center, 2.0 Training, and Dynamic Personal Fitness provide a cardio theater and a well-equipped fitness studio. Energy Yoga & Wellness provides rejuvenating classes like restorative yoga and sound healing sessions.

Top sites in Webster Groves, MO are The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Southwest Park, and Ivory Crockett Park.

Population: 23,449 (2023). ZIP Code: 63119. Area code(s): 314. Elevation: 564 ft (172 m). Area: 5.91 sq mi (15.31 km2).

FAQs

What is Webster Groves, MO known for?

The City of Webster Groves is a predominantly residential community located in southeastern St. Louis County. Webster Groves was named Missouri’s 2013 Creative Community by the Missouri Arts Council. The City is known for its long-standing foundation in the arts, with cultural anchors such as The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, The Community Music School, and Webster University.

Is Webster Groves, MO a good place to live?

Webster Groves is a suburb of St. Louis. Webster Groves is in St. Louis County and is one of the best places to live in Missouri. Living in Webster Groves offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. In Webster Groves, there are a lot of restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many families and young professionals live in Webster Groves and residents tend to lean conservative. The public schools in Webster Groves are highly rated.

What is the oldest house in Webster Groves, MO?

The Historic Christopher Hawken House is the oldest in suburban Webster Groves. Christopher Miller Hawken built this elegant Federal/Greek Revival-style farmhouse in 1857 for his bride, Mary Ann Kinkead Eads. The house originally stood on Big Bend Boulevard along Grant Road and was moved to Southwest Park in 1970 to preserve the structure. It was the first home in Missouri to receive federal funds for restoration, which matched the amount raised by the citizens of Webster Groves and is listed on the National Historic Register. It is now maintained and operated by the Webster Groves Historical Society. Furnished entirely in the Victorian decor of that period, it is open to the public, and special tours are available.

Sources

City of Webster Groves

Wikipedia

Niche

Great River Road

The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis

Southwest Park

Ivory Crockett Park

SSM Health St. Clare Hospital

Mercy Hospital South St. Louis

Vitality Unlimited Spa

Aquarius Wellness Center for Healing Arts

Webster Groves Fitness Center

2.0 Training

Dynamic Personal Fitness

Energy Yoga & Wellness

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