COMMUNITY & CULTURE
MEET ME IN…
Kirkwood
B y T r i s h M u y c o - To b i n
I
t’s difficult to imagine Kirkwood without thinking about the
historical landmarks - the Train Station, City Hall, the downtown
business district and even a few residential homes - that dot the
approximately 9 square miles of suburbia recognized as being the
first municipality established outside of St. Louis City boundaries.
Kirkwood’s growth through the years can be tied directly to the
railroad. Founded in 1853, it was an early commuter train suburb, named
after Missouri Pacific Railroad engineer James P. Kirkwood, who was in
charge of locating, surveying and building the railroad. The Kirkwood Train
Station, built in 1893 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places,
is in the heart of the downtown area. Since 2003, the city of Kirkwood has
owned and operated the site, which currently serves as a stop for Amtrak
passenger train service. The city negotiated the purchase of the station from
Amtrak in 2002, after the company announced plans to close the facility as
part of a cost-cutting move. These days, the station is staffed by volunteer
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Kirkwood residents who answer questions, help passengers embark, issue
parking passes, you name it - everything but sell tickets.
From the station, walk toward Kirkwood Road and the heart
of downtown, and you’ll agree it could have been a prototype for
Main Street, U.S.A. à la Norman Rockwell. From the storefront signs
(Spencer’s Grill’s neon sign contains the oldest working clock west of
the Mississippi) to the street lamps and the imposing Georgian Revival
structure of Kirkwood’s City Hall, there are hints of a bygone era,
holding their own against the newer landmarks: Station Plaza, which
- with its delightful fountain and popular concert series - has assumed
the role of town center, as well as the always popular Farmers’ Market.
The Farmers’ Market is a bustling place every weekend, especially
this time of year, for finding all sorts of holiday cheer. It was founded
in 1976 as a bicentennial project by the city, and is owned by the City
of Kirkwood.