Compton Heights Neighborhood

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Compton Heights, located on the near Southside of the City of St. Louis in the shadow of the great water tower of Reservoir Park, is one of the earliest planned residential developments of the American 19th century. Laid out in 1889 in accordance with a plan that viewed nature as neighbor and not as an enemy to be subjugated by some rectilinear grid, its wide setbacks and curving streets create remarkable vistas, which are punctuated by more than 200 homes of extraordinary and varied interest. The entire neighborhood is a local historic district.

There were two things that made Compton Heights unique among its contemporary subdivisions. The first was its landscaped, curving streets with lovely vistas designed "to view nature as neighbor not as an enemy to be subjugated by some rectilinear grid." The second was the idea of selling lots with deed restrictions – the first in the state of Missouri.

Currently, this neighborhood is experiencing a major ressurgence in residential renovations.