Named after Revolutionary War General Marie-Joseph-Paul-Roch-Yves-Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (try fitting that on a business card!), Lafayette Square had for decades been an enclave for St. Louis’s up-and-coming families. The tornado of 1896, plus the Great Depression a few decades later, ended this Golden Era for neighborhood.
However, the last decade has seen a Rennaisance for the area, which is quickly becoming a destination for food and music—as well as a great place to buy a charming first home.
In 1973, Lafayette Square was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearly all of the 375 historic home have been restored to its original beauty.