Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site
National Historic Landmark

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
District
Period
Modern
Ref No.
66000941

About this property

Gateway Arch National Park is a national park of the United States located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent westward movement of American explorers and pioneers; the first civil government west of the Mississippi River; and the debate over slavery raised by the Dred Scott case. The national park consists of the Gateway Arch, a steel catenary arch that has become the definitive icon of St. Louis; a park along the Mississippi River on the site of the earliest buildings of the city; the Old Courthouse, a former state and federal courthouse where the Dred Scott case originated; and the 140,000 sq ft (13,000 m2) museum at the Gateway Arch. It is the smallest national park in the United States at 192.83 acres (78.04 ha), less than 2% the size of the next-smallest, Hot Springs National Park. The immediate surroundings of the Gateway Arch were initially designated the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial by secretarial order on December 21, 1935. The Gateway Arch was completed on October 28, 1965. The park is maintained by the National Park Service (NPS). The area surrounding the arch was redesignated as the Gateway Arch National Park in 2018. This change has been controversial due to the nature of the site (national parks typically include conserved natural landscapes and significant opportunities for nature recreation, whereas sites that have primarily historical and architectural significance are usually given other NPS designations). Several publications noted that the addition of Gateway Arch as a national park eroded the significance associated with the "national park" designation, and some suggested that the change was made in order to promote tourism rather than to conserve a nature area.

Location

St. Louis (Independent City), St. Louis County, Missouri
38.62560, -90.18686

Categories

ARTENGINEERINGLAWARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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This page lists Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Nearby Historic Sites

Laclede Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
International Fur Exchange Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
American Zinc, Lead and Smelting Company Building
Industrial
0.2 mi
Gateway Arch
Industrial
0.2 mi
Boatman's Bank Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Action at St. Louis (Spanish Fort San Carlos)
1780Revolutionary War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site listed on the National Register?

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site?

Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site?

The period of significance for Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site is recorded as the modern era, specifically around 2018.

Can I research the history near Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Jefferson National Expansion Memorial National Historic Site will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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