County of gate: St. Louis Independent City
Location of gate: Magnolia Ave. & Tower Grove Ave., North Entrance to Tower Grove Park, St. Louis
Designed by: Henry Shaw
Arrow Heads gilded by: John May
Wrought Iron: Pauly & Bro. Iron Works
Founder for Stags: Johannes Brix
"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." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
The columns are salvaged from the old St. Louis Courthouse, and brought here to be used in both the pedestrian gates and the road gate boundaries
There were two gate houses here, both of which were demolished in 1913
It is appropriate that his [Henry Shaw's) home (now the Missouri Botanical Gardens) is just outside this gate.
"The north entrance is not as elaborate in character as that on Grand avenue, but is second in importance, and owing to the contiguity of the music stand and concourse, the plant house, the Shakespeare statue, the gate house and a villa, intended as the residence of the Superintendent, built within the two hundred feet strip, forms a prominent feature in a most interesting park scene.
In its general design this north entrance is somewhat similar to the main entrance on Grand avenue, but the columns, etc., are not so massive in character, and there is less metallic ornamentation. The smooth, round shafts adorning the carriage gates, and the terminal points of the railing, formerly assisted in supporting the galleries of the dome of the Court-house. During the course of alterations ordered by the old County Court in 1870, before the separation of city and county, with a view of improving the light and appearance of the dome, some of the interior columns were removed, and, in accordance with the request of Mr. Shaw, were transferred to the park and utilized in the ornamentation of this gate-way. The design for this entrance was by the Comptroller [Henry Shaw], and the iron work by Messrs. Pauly & Bro., of this city.
"The extensive documents that survive for the earliest period of Tower Grove Park reveal that it cost Henry Shaw $38 to have the four stone columns, stone piers, and coping he had rescued from the remodeling of the Old Courthouse transported to Tower Grove Park to become part of his design for the splendid Magnolia Street entrance. Even with this creative recycling effort, the gate's construction, supervised by Francis Tunica , and including two gatehouses (demolished in 1913), cost $12,000. The stonework alone - excluding the recycled columns - cost over $3,400, not including the cost of the limestone itself. The cost of the ironwork for the north gate was still higher, although, John May gilded the arrowheads on the gate for only $20.
"Such expenditures were appropriate to the entrance that opened directly onto Tower Grove Avenue, the direct route to Henry Shaw's own country house and his beloved Missouri Botanical Garden, a street that by 1883 already connected "directly with the Manchester Road and the street system of the city.
The recumbent stags near the north gate are also works of decided merit. They were designed and executed in Berlin, and were imported for the ornamentation of the gate-ways by the Board of Commissioners, and are made of zinc, which is much less expensive than bronze, but when kept carefully painted is almost as indestructible.
"The two zinc sculptures raised to the viewer's attention by stone piers are indeed among the most striking features of the Magnolia entrance. One is shown to the left in photographs made for use in a stereoscope. Note the Chinese Chippendale fencing -- this style was also used for fences near the Arsenal Entrance and the Carriage Stand.
"To the north of this is a handsome villa of nine rooms, built within the two hundred feet strip, intended as the residence of the Superintendent of the park. The house is ornamented with bay windows, wide porches and balconies, and has a turret and observatory in the centre.
"Like the Magnolia entrance itself, the round-arched Italianate style of the villa in which Tower Grove Park's Superintendents have resided since Shaw's death, forms a splendid contrast to the pointed arches and stepped gables of the Gothic-Revival Kingshighway lodge. Like the latter structure, the residence is tentatively attributed to Francis Tunica, (who also supervised its construction at a cost of some $11,000!). The elegant "Superintendent's" villa was the first structure to be built in Tower Grove Park --its bricks were in place (and painted white "after the Italian manner") by 1869. Various changes have been made since then, most notably the ornamental iron fence that was added in 1905 and the partial enclosure of the east porch still later. Since the late 1970's, this building has been referred to as the Director's Residence.
"Since the late 1980s efforts have been underway to re-establish the landscaping appropriate to a mid- to late Victorian residence. With the assistance of the Garden Club of St. Louis, appropriate foundation plantings have been installed, a kitchen garden -- complete with chickens! --, orchard, and croquet lawn established." ~ Tower Grove Park
Proper Description: "Two painted zinc stags, each reclining atop a stone pier near the north entrance to the park." ~ Smithsonian American Art Museum
"The recumbent stags near the north gate are also works of decided merit. They were designed and executed in Berlin, and were imported for the ornamentation of the gate-ways by the Board of Commissioners, and are made of zinc, which is much less expensive than bronze, but when kept carefully painted is almost as indestructible.