![]() ![]() She successfully pushed the city to pave streets in the Ville. Louis, Annie Malone was a generous contributor to the St. The building housed her Poro College of Beauty Culture and her manufacturing plant as well as a number of other organizations. The Poro Building became an important symbol of African American enterprises and was located near Sumner High School in the heart of the Ville. She then became so successful that she was able to build her own million dollar building to house her various enterprises. She called her products “the Poro System”. Louis in the early part of this century and began making and selling beauty products. The most famous resident of The Ville at this time was Annie Malone.Īnnie Turnbo Pope Malone came to St. Much of the “eliteness” in the Ville’s reputation dates from this period. More and more African American institutions were established and the area thrived. The Ville went from being 8% African American to being 86% African American. 8 (later renamed Simmons School), opened in 1873.īetween 19. The neighborhood’s first black institution, Elleardsville Colored School No. In the late nineteenth century, Elleardsville (later shortened to “The Ville”) attracted German and Irish immigrants, along with some African Americans. Charles Rock Road, the area became known as Elleardsville. During Elleard’s twenty or so years at his property on Goode and St. ![]() Elleard donated most of the products of his nurseries to his friends. Elleard, a florist and horticulturist who maintained a conservatory and greenhouses on the tract. The Ville originally belonged to Charles M. Some more prominent locations and people from this pivotal area in African-American history: ![]() 1,492 housing units existed in 2000, 73% were occupied, 36% owner occupied and 64% rented. That is a 25% decline from 1990’s census count. As of the 2000 census data, 97% of the 2,695 residents were black. The Ville is included in a local historic district. Phillips Ambulatory Care Center is the major health care facility in the Ville community which is housed in the former Homer G. Tandy Parks acts as the front yard of Sumner High School providing many recreational activities for area residents. James African Methodist Episcopal Church and Antioch Baptist Church have been providing spiritual support to this community since the late 1800’s and continue to be leaders in stabilizing and revitalization efforts. Out of this diverse group, many institutions emerged: Sumner High School, the first high school for black students west of the Mississippi, Turner Middle School, Marshall and Simmons Elementary School. ![]() The Ville nurtured a rich heritage for the black population of the City of St. The Ville was for many years the cradle of African-American culture and home to many black professionals, businessmen and entertainers. That alone makes this place noteworthy, but the history is much richer than even the brown eyed handsome man.įrom the Ville’s website (I set out to find some of the structures mentioned on their website, the photos are mine, not the Ville’s website): This neighborhood was the childhood home to Chuck Berry for pete’s sake. Louis was a place where African Americans could thrive and make their own way as middle and upper class citizens in the early 20th century. The Ville should be one of our greatest sources of regional pride based on its impact on African American culture and society. There is a lot of historical information available on the this important neighborhood. I must admit, I’ve really been looking forward to this day trip following the reading I’ve done in advance of my visit. Louis neighborhood bound by Taylor Avenue to the west, Sarah Street to the east, St. ![]()
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