Did you know...?
Airplane
An airplane was built in about 1925 in the carriage house at 5053 by one Dan Robertson of 5063 (son of the co-founder of “Lambert Field,” now “Lambert-St. Louis International Airport”) and Charlie Lindbergh. Mrs. Martha Lyter Engler, of 5053 at that time, said that she fondly remembered the days she and her girlfriends from next door, including Lucianna Gladney (5057), teased Dan Robertson and Charlie Lindbergh about their flying machine. The boys had to chase them from the carriage house with great regularity.
Deed of Restrictions
The Deed of Restrictions is attached to the title to your property and is “a covenant running with the land.” It sets out the duties and powers of the Trustees and provides for assessments.
Old houses
The first house on our blocks (5023 – 5159 Westminster) was built in 1893 (5133). The newest was built in 1912 (5109).
The lots now numbered 5155 and 5159 were originally intended to be three lots, with 5157 tucked in between. On some maps 5159 was labelled 5157.
Parking
There is room on our street to parallel park more than two cars for every house. Recent measurements have shown this to be a conservative estimate and the truth may be 20% - 30% higher.
Prominent former owners
Lucianna Gladney Ross (ex-5057 Westminster) “saved the city of Kimmswick.” Her father Franklin Young Gladney was a co-founder and major investor in the 7-Up Company.
Clark M. Clifford (ex-5086 Westminster) attended law school at Washington University. He was Secretary of Defense in 1968 - 1969; and served in various capacities under Presidents Truman, Kennedy and Johnson. He died in 1998 at age 91.
H. Sam Priest ex-5122 Westminster) was president of the Board of Police Commissioners in 1946, 1957, and 1961. He established the Police Academy and the Mobile Reserve Unit and was named “Man of the Year” by the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in 1964. He died in 1987 at age 81.
Claude Bakewell (ex-5132 Westminster) and his wife Helen bought 5132 in July 1941. He served on the St. Louis Board of Aldermen from 1941 to 1945. He was elected to the United States Congress in 1946 and was the postmaster of St. Louis from 1958 to 1982.
Evarts Graham (ex-5136 Westminster) was the Managing Editor of the Saint Louis Post-Dispatch. (That gives us two top news editors; and a third, William Woo, lived at 5273!)
Col. Isaac A. Long (ex-5155 Westminster ) was the vice-president of Mercantile Bank and collected mechanical banks. He was chairman of Southwest Bank for 31 years and the president of the Board of Police Commissioners (two of those, too).
Segregation
In 1946 The Westminster Place Association consulted with an attorney regarding adding a segregation clause to the property titles in the 5000 – 5100 blocks. The suggestion was soon dropped.
Topography
The highest point on the street is near the center (around 5100). From there water flows in both directions.
Westminster Place Association
The Westminster Place Association (WPA) is a primarily social organization chartered 20 years before the street became private. In addition to the Charter it has its own By-Laws. A letter from the Board of Trustees’ attorney explains the differences between the WPA and the Board and cautions against conflating them.
More history of our block can be found in this summary by one of our residents.