County of structure: Independent City of St. Louis
Location of structure: Center Cross Dr. & Main Dr., Tower Grove Park, St. Louis
Phone:(314) 771-2679
Capacity: 200
Cost: $100 per day
Number 19 Gazebo
"Tower Grove Park encompasses a long, narrow rectangular area of
277 acres located in the south central section of St. Louis,
Missouri. It is bounded by Magnolia Avenue on the north, Grand
Boulevard on the east, Arsenal Street on the south and Kingshighway Boulevard on the west.
"Tower Grove Park (the second largest park in St. Louis) is of English design with its grand drives and walks interspersed with colossal but graceful statues, miniature lakes, gazeboes and other summer houses, and hundreds of trees suited to the soil and climate of Missouri.
"Most of the buildings, the main entrance on Grand Boulevard, and the bases of the three 30 foot high bronze statues were designed by George I. Barnett (1815 - 1898). Barnett was an English-born architect who was probably the most distinguished representative of his profession in Missouri in the nineteenth century; he received several other important commissions from Henry Shaw. There are ten picnic pavilions or gazeboes in the park (3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19) which reflect a variety of architectural styles including elements of Greek revival, Gothic revival, oriental, and nineteenth century bracket and scroll. As a collection of garden architecture they are perhaps unsurpassed in any public park in this country.
In addition there are smaller well houses (no longer functioning
as sources of drinking water) of a pleasant nineteenth century rural nature. Three Gothic revival stone gatehouses (1, 7, and 20) guard the north, south, and west entrances to the park, and heighten the romantic effect gathered from the other exotic structures on the grounds. The Moorish-domed bandstand (10) is a prominent feature near the center of the park, and it is surrounded by Carrara marble busts of composers which were popular with Mr. Shaw and the public of the l870's: Mozart, Rossini, Verdi, Sounoud, Wagner, and Beethoven." ~ NRRHP Nomination Form
In the central part of the park, near the south gate, a large summer house may be found, quite different in character from any already mentioned, and called the pigeon or dove-cot house. It has a cupola roof, ascending with diminishing curves. Painted in parti-colors, the upper portion being arranged for pigeons and other birds. The roof is supported by eight double columns, with wide spaces between, and a few seats are arranged under its shadow. The elevated position of the structure and its graceful outlines, render it a pleasing and ornamental object. Its roof is visible from distant points, rising above the billows of green surrounding it, blending harmoniously with the landscape.
In 1892, the Board of Commissioners extended its roof by the addition of the large lower tier supported on iron posts, and closed the roosts. The changes transformed the "Dove-Cot" into today's "Turkish Pavilion." ~ Tower Grove Park
Wampa-One's listing on WM: WM4XB5 Tower Grove Map