The College Hill Neighborhood

College Hill is a north St. Louis neighborhood bound by E. Warne Avenue and Adelaide Avenue to the northwest, I-70 to the northeast, Ferry Street to the southeast and West Florissant Avenue to the southwest:

The 2000 census data counted 2,917 residents (down 32% from 1990...yikes) of whom 94% were black, 4% white, 1% Hispanic/Latino. There were 1,321 housing units, 69% occupied by 46%/54% owner/renter. You get the picture, major losses of residents, 31% of the housing units unoccupied.

The 2010 census data was no better when College Hill was down to 1,871 residents (-36%). A 37% drop in Black people was the most stark. White and Asian populations were down to 80 people combined. Hispanic/Latino counts took a 47% jump over the past 10 years, but numerically insignificant with a total of 22 people. Total housing units lost another 18%, down to 1,081 units. Occupancy dipped another 25% and vacant units decreased by 3 meaning there was a bit of demo removing units from the counts.

I wish the data was better in 2020, but the trends continued. College Hill is down to 1,243 residents, a steep decline of 34% since the 2010 count. Black people are leaving in droves (-34%). The neighborhood is 92% Black, 4% white, 2% Asian and 2% Hispanic-Latino. The housing trends are worsening as well where a 21% drop in total housing units were counted. We are down to 853 total housing units, only 60% of those are occupied. The number of vacant units dropped from 412 to 337 indicating a vast increase in demolitions and/or arson.

So with that negative outlook in mind (sorry but true), let’s look into the history of this part of St. Louis.

The name College Hill was given to this area because it was the location of the St. Louis University College Farm. This area was acquired by the University for garden and recreation purposes in 1836, it was subdivided in the early 1870's. Source

College Hill's claim to fame is probably the 2 water towers that grace the neighborhood.

The Bissell Point plant included a standpipe, which is the present Old Water Tower at 20th Street and East Grand Avenue, and the reservoir at Compton Hill. The tower on East Grand was placed in service in 1871. It was considered to be the largest perfect Corinthian column in existence, reaching a height of 154 feet. It was designed by George Gingham Barnett, the first architect to receive training abroad. In the late 1920's lights were placed on top of the Corinthian tower to serve as aviation beacons. They were extinguished in World War II as a security precaution and were reactivated in 1949 to guide flyers to Lambert Field. The lights are presently not in use and the tower itself has not been used for its original purpose for many years.

Another familiar landmark in this area is the so-called Red Water Tower at Bissell Street and Blair Avenue. This structure was erected as a stand pipe to augment the "Old Water Tower" on East Grand Avenue. It would counter the water surge from high service pumps at Bissell Point. It was built in 1887 at a cost of $79,789 after a design by architect W.S. Eames, who was then the assistant city water commissioner. The 206 foot high tower was created when new high service pumps were installed in the water works at Bissell Point.

After Bissell Point plant was retired from service in 1960 its site was sold and subsequently became the location of the Metropolitan Sewer District's north sewage treatment plant, which began operations in 1970. A portion of the site is occupied by a city incinerator and garage.

The two north side water towers, as well as the one at Compton Hill, have been declared to be local and national land marks and represent nearly half of all such surviving structures in the nation. Admirers of the north side towers have successfully resisted action to raze them and some funds are reported to be available for their restoration. In 1997 the Gateway Foundation had lighting added to the towers to light them at night. The effect has been stunning. The towers are now visible at night from the interstates and from many vantage points in their respective neighborhoods. Source

Notice they don’t mention the street names, some of which were named by enslavers from the pre-Civil War era. John O’Fallon (WashU trustee), John Gano Bryan, as well as the Hempstead and Bissell families.

But one of the more unique interests of the neighborhood are the two water towers or stand pipes. Here is the 1887 "Red Water Tower" at Bissell and Blair:

The properties that are still standing around the water tower are St. Louis classics.

Here's the Old Water Tower at Grand and 20th Street:

Overall, College Hill has huge potential, as it has a nice mix of all styles of architecture that old St. Louis has to offer. It has of course seen better days and much of the neighborhood is crumbling; but it's not a hopeless place at all. There is still enough of the backbone to make this a contiguous neighborhood with a lot of future potential.

College Hill is clearly another neighborhood lying in wait for those with the ideas, resources and desire to make change and bring this place back to it's original glory. College Hill with some TLC could easily add to St. Louis' resume as one of, if not THE brick city of the universe.

Here's what I mean, check out these aging beauties:

Many structures are falling:

Many are boarded up, or not:

There are several commercial corridors and former businesses, mainly along Grand and Florissant:

College Hill's proximity to ONSL, its history and amazing architecture make it an area worth investing in. So get in now, the price and time is right.

***In Septmeber, 2025 I revisited the neighborhood and the following includes updated commentary and photos.***

Misses On Original Tour

I failed to mention the near perfect street grid, as visible from the satellite map. I-70 butchered College Hill from the sections of the city to the east, but that part of St. Louis is almost entirely industrial and trucking operations, so it is not as damaging as other neighborhoods. You can see the old homes abutting I-70 ranging from the old STL brick classics to mid-Century homes built in the wake of the Interstate construction.

I missed the Bissell Mansion who some people say is the oldest standing building in the city (circa 1831). It looks abandoned and pretty rough. We must do better.

I missed the former Jewish Orthodox Old Folks Home and later the Tower Village Nursing Home complex that is abandoned and totally decimated by trespassers and other no-dignity behavior.

I missed the schools and a few prominent church buildings. Most of these are abandoned but some are still active.

Bryan Hill Elementary School is part of the St. Louis Public Schools and is a straight up beauty from William B. Ittner in 1912.

The former SLPS Lowell School was built in 1926 and designed by Rockwell Milligan. It was closed due to the massively declining population in this part of the city, and is now a charter school currently called Kipp Triumph Academy.

There are abandoned private schools as well. Our Lady of Perpetual Help School and Parish lasted from 1888 to 1997, the church was lost in a fire in 1987.

There are many churches, mostly abandoned, but not all. Some are still important entities in the community. The church bells were ringing on my visit at the Mount Grace Convent of the Holy Spirit Adoration Sisters church.

But, the overall abandonment is stark, with open access to squatters, arsonists, trespassers and addicts. Some of these works of art will likely not be here in 5-10 years.

While I’m talking about this part of the neighborhood, E. Warne and Adelaide mark the border between College Hill and the O’Fallon Neighborhood. The bends form a wedge with some of the most beautiful homes in all of the city. This is a springboard section for future investment southward.

I also failed to mention that there was a lot of infill in the 1980s. They are all over the neighborhood and are quite noticeable based on the window AC units and the 80s building materials. They haven’t aged well when they stand alone, and work much better when they are sandwiched between the classic brick beauties.

I mention this as a reminder that we should do better infill in the future that respects the look and feel of the original building boom.

Noticeable Changes

College Hill is one of several St. Louis neighborhoods with no official city park. While not an official city park, a new space called Peace Park now sits on several formerly abandoned properties. Just in the shadow of the Grand Water Tower. The space is beautiful. Peace Park was developed by the Green City Coalition, a joint effort by the City of St. Louis, St. Louis Development Corporation, Missouri Department of Conservation, and Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District as well as local institutions like Washington University. The park is handsome and shows effort and investment. It is quite beautiful.

There is another charming pocket park that has popped up. It has a great design, it was clean as a whistle and works on the corner lot.

There have been several community gardens pop up or in the work; but, I have to say, they look like the community have not embraced them to date. They looked a bit fallow today on this particular visit.

There are lavender plots dotting the neighborhood. This is the work of the College Hill Foundation and is a positive stop gap between vacant lots transitioning to new housing. These started in 2018 and are still quite visible throughout the neighborhood.

City Government Investment is extremely limited in this neighborhood. Aside from speed humps, there is one intersection at Conde Street and College Avenue that has seen pedestrian safety and traffic calming measures.

But, there are slap dash and poorly planned / executed attempts of half assed “investment” throughout the neighborhood. Here’s an example of new corner curbs…with no sidewalks connecting them.

What gives?

This part of St. Louis is still gorgeous, it is hilly, leafy and ready for others to move here and invest here. It will not happen at the pace that is taking place today. I made an earnest attempt to pay attention to home maintenance signs like tuckpointing, new roofs, new windows, new construction. I noticed one new suburban styled home and another with new windows. The investment is not there. Sorry to be blunt, but this is my honest observation from the street.

The Black Power Blueprint organization’s work is showing. They have several noticeable positives including basketball courts, a housing arm called Uhuru House and the Uhuru Bakery and Cafe. Cheers to those putting in the work and making a noticeable difference.

The Urban League still has a strong presence here, and there is a repurposed religious building that is occupied by several organizations and a health care facility.

What Are The Future Needs?

Housing. Diversity. People. Anyone. Money.

For the most part, the worst of the worst crumbling to fully destroyed buildings I’ve witnessed over the years are now gone. Many buildings from my original post are gone. Lots of clearance has taken place. So much so that a birds eye view on google wiil show rampant vacant lots. Take a look for yourself:

There are still examples of eyesore-level abandonment, but many, many vacant homes are boarded up at least giving me a glimmer of hope.

Board ups and vacant lots:

The neighborhood was designed for small businesses to mix in with the homes. Today, aside from a few liquor stores and junk food markets, there is little to no business.

This is not across the board, but an honest statement. This area is a bonafide healthy, affordable food desert.

Please know, this neighborhood is gorgeous, worthy of pride and investment at all levels. The few who are sticking it out deserve it. We all deserve it. Take a look at the architectural beauty and resident pride in this place: