I think many people might know that Saint Louis University was once located downtown, but may not realize that the buildings were an elegant ensemble of Neo-Classical edifices. Originally beginning as the St. Louis Academy in 1818, it was then the St. Louis College in 1829 now under the Jesuit umbrella, and finally University in 1832. The first buildings were erected in 1829 for $5,000 given by multiple donors.
As can be seen from these wonderful historic images, the campus grew up around Washington, 9th, Christy (now Lucas) and 11th streets. The original buildings faced Lucas Street.
The church was St. Francis Xavier, who along with St. Ignatius Loyola, was the founder of the Society of Jesus.
A wing was eventually built connecting the building along Washington Avenue to the church at the corner of Lucas and 9th.
Today, here is the view along 9th Street. The university moved out to its present location in 1881, where it remains.
At one point, SLU operated a medical school on the southwest corner of its property, and was the target of the “Medical College Disturbance” in 1843.
The St.Louis-made tower clock and the three old Spanish bells in the tower of the original St.Francis Xavier Church were moved to the new campus in 1881, and were stored in the basement of the tower of the new College Church for a quarter of a century. When the present tower was finally completed, they were hoisted into place, and you can still hear them strike today — ting-tang quarters on the smaller bells, and hour strike on the larger one. There’s an amazing story about how those bells got to St.Louis from Spain.