Webster Groves

"A very special place" is how author Clarissa Start describes Webster Groves in her book about the city, written as a 1976 Bicentennial project. "Queen of the suburbs" is how real estate agents once advertised the area, and that name became synonymous with Webster Groves in its early years. Webster Groves received its name from the small railroad depot which served the college, but since there was another "Webster" in Missouri, city fathers added the word "Groves" in reference to the heavy growth of trees covering the terrain.

Webster Groves has gained a reputation as the cultural center of St. Louis County. The oldest little theatre west of the Mississippi River is located on "Theatre Lane" within the city, and the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis at the Loretto-Hilton Center on Webster University's campus has gained national recognition. The St. Louis Artists' Guild has its area headquarters on Lockwood Avenue next to the Webster Groves Library. There are numerous service, hobby, and garden clubs and other groups with organized memberships in Webster Groves.

Webster Groves has five separate and distinct business areas within the city, and community leaders work closely with the Chamber of Commerce. In the heart of Webster Groves is "Old Webster." Less than a mile east of the University is the Old Orchard business district, which stretches for several blocks along Big Bend Boulevard. Yorkshire Shopping Center, located at the southeastern tip of the city, along Highway 366 (Watson Road) and Laclede Station Road, is the only prototype shopping plaza in Webster Groves. Two other neighborhood shopping areas are at Elm and Big Bend (known as Central Webster Crossroads), and on Marshall Avenue near Summit. Both contain convenience stores and services, and both cater largely to community residents.

All cities have certain features and statistics in common, but Webster Groves has a personality and image all its own. Some would say it is marked by the trees-towering groves of oaks, maples, and elms that gave the town its name. Others would say it is distinguished by its homes, especially the big, old frame houses, set back from the street with large sweeps of lawn. It boasts a wide variety of schools, churches and longstanding cultural traditions. But perhaps, after all, its most distinctive characteristic is the friendliness of its people.

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