A Community, Not a Neighborhood

What makes a neighborhood a community? How does this affect Real Estate value? We could give these two questions to a philosophy class and they would have an entire year’s worth of debates and scholarly theories on the words “neighborhood” and “community”. Assess these questions with an Urban Planner, and  spend days assessing economic, demographic and spatial organization over time. But the simple answer is: the people. The organization of people over time in a neighborhood form a community identity, which inherently establishes a value and sense of “worth”. Like many communities all over the world, Webster Groves coheres strongly over the shared history of the neighborhood.

The Webster Groves Historic Society compiled a series of seven guided walking tours called the Webster Groves Historic Walk Series. Looking at Webster as a “living museum” of over 200 years of history, the tours outline key figures, architectural landmarks and developments throughout the establishment of the community. The first tour in the series, “Heart of Webster”, begins in the Old Webster Business District on Lockwood Avenue with William H. Gore’s house built in 1857:

When you stroll down Lockwood, all you see is the top of this home peeking out behind the current one story shops which were built after the second owner, Charles Baker, passed away circa 1930.  The majority of the commercial historic buildings registered with historical significance in the Old Webster Business District were erected between 1860-1930, demonstrating the spike in interest in the “neighborhood”. Or, the surgence of the transformation from the suburb into a strengthening “community”, earning its stars of value amongst St. Louis County.

Among the business boom, our walk takes us to the local grocer, Straub’s, which still serves the patrons of Webster today:

Built in 1901, Straub’s moved a couple times: from the original spot in the Bristol Building, to 40 W. Lockwood in 1926, and then to its final resting place in 1956. Founded by William A. Straub, the grocery store is a salute to family, determination and success. According to the Walking Tour, Mr. Straub was the eldest of 7 children in a Kirkwood family. His father passed when he was just 14 and he dropped out of school to support his family, going on to open up the grocery in Webster. Straub’s has several locations today throughout St. Louis and has always been noted for carrying high quality and specialty groceries; not limited to chocolate covered ants in the 1920’s which were all the rage.

The businesses through the streets of Old Webster demonstrate the strength of the community and the adoration of their shared history. Over time the businesses may have changed location, or been spatially re-appropriated, but their significance remains the same to community members in 2012 as they did in the early 1900’s. The bricks and mortar of the buildings mimic the strength, value and cohesion of the Webster Groves Community.

Written by Ciara Brewer and Photographed by Rachel Broaddus on behalf of Monica Brewer