The bygone neighborhood of Mill Creek Valley in St. Louis now has a powerful, poignant monument in tribute to the once-thriving community and its residents.
Up until the late 1950s, 20,000 residents, as well as more than 800 businesses and 40 churches, called Mill Creek Valley home. An urban renewal project that began in February 1959 resulted in the demolition of homes, storefronts and places of worship in the predominantly Black neighborhood just west of downtown St. Louis, displacing its residents and disrupting their lives.
On Feb. 16, the 64th anniversary of the first day of Mill Creek Valley’s demolition, a public art installation to memorialize the neighborhood was unveiled at the southwest corner of CITYPARK, the new soccer stadium for St. Louis CITY SC. A group of surviving Mill Creek residents were on hand for the event, along with city and club officials and community leaders.
The permanent installation, called “Pillars of the Valley,” is by nationally acclaimed artist Damon Davis, who hails from East St. Louis. Davis says as he learned more about the story of Mill Creek Valley, he kept coming back to the idea of going back in time.
“I’ve created a series of pedestals and portals that represent an hourglass, holding time still in the form of the soil,” Davis said. “In each one of the pillars, there is a quote inscribed from a resident who actually lived in Mill Creek. The landscaping and benches around them are in the shape of the plots of land, the apartments, and homes and businesses where people lived, worked, and gathered. I am thankful to get to tell the residents’ stories and be here with them for this moment.”
The monument, established by St. Louis CITY SC in partnership with Great Rivers Greenway and the City of St. Louis, is in honor of the neighborhood’s historic significance, built on the site where Mill Creek once stood – in and around the stadium and along the new Brickline Greenway.
In addition to the installation, St. Louis CITY SC will share information and resources about Mill Creek Valley on the club’s website and social media channels. “Pillars of the Valley” will eventually span the 1-mile stretch of the Brickline Greenway segment between CITYPARK and Harris-Stowe State University.
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