Most often referred to as “UCity”, this community is named for its adjacency to Washington University and is one of the older suburbs in the St. Louis area, having been a streetcar suburb in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Much historic architecture remains in the southern, older portion of the city, particularly along Delmar Boulevard where many St. Louisans refer to “driving through the lions” at the UCity Loop. The UCity Loop is a hip strip of sidewalk cafes, tattoo parlors, music venues, and vintage clothing and record stores. The northern portions of the city, mostly developed after World War II, have more of a suburban feel and borders the conveniences of the Clayton business district.
Did you know...
7308 Westmoreland Drive is nestled on one of the prettiest tree-lined streets in UCity and just a short walk to the business district of Clayton. This home is unique and rich with architectural details, designed by Maritz & Young.
Raymond E. Maritz and W. Ridgley Young built more than 160 homes and commercial spaces for some of the city’s most prominent citizens, located in the most affluent of neighborhoods. The wealthy clientele now commuted by automobile and demanded houses to be built using lavish details and opulent materials, notably reflecting a time of prosperity.
Raymond E. Maritz was born in St. Louis in 1893, of French ancestry and a descendent to a carpenter. His father, a New Orleans native, founded a jewelry manufacturing firm in St. Louis around the time of Raymond’s birth. At age 11, Maritz decided to study architecture after attending a meeting with his father, engineers, and architects who were designing the 1904 World’s Fair French Pavilion.
Studying architecture at Washington University, Raymond furthered his education at the Ecole des Beauz Arts in Paris. Maritz formed an architectural partnership with Gale Henderson, another Washington University student, in 1915. Upon his return from a WWI deployment, together they built several quality suburban homes until Henderson’s departure from the firm in 1920.
Maritz formed a new partnership with W. Ridgley Young that went on to span two decades. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1893, Young was also a fellow graduate of Washington University. Together, their first design was 7314 Maryland Avenue, built for Raymond’s brother, James. Residential clients in the next decade included some of the most prominent and prosperous people in the St. Louis area.
Their architectural ideas were new and inspirational during the 1920’s – a prime time for period homes, or houses that were expected to look like a picture postcard from Europe yet being up to date in plan and function alike. Maritz & Young soon became the leading residential architects, designing more homes than any other firm in the most stylish of neighborhoods. Proficient in all types of period architecture (Colonial Revival, Georgian, Spanish Eclectic (also known as Spanish Colonial Revival) and Tudor), houses built in Lindell and Forsyth Boulevard, in Brentmoor Park, Carrswold, and Wydown Terrace were most notable for their composition.
The largest of the homes designed by Maritz & Young were in Brentmoor, built in the 1920s and ’30s, with other magnificently designed houses constructed in neighborhoods like Carrswold, Bridlespur, Southmoor, and Hillcrest. A common feature of these neighborhoods was an ornamental wrought-iron gate fashioned at the entrance with the larger of the luxurious homes sitting up front in view of passers-by. These gates are still present in Fair Oaks on Lay Road, Aberdeen Place in Clayton, Southmoor on Big Bend, Wydown Terrace, and Squires Lane in Huntleigh Village. Maritz & Young continually gave credit to builders and suppliers that they worked with.
Many of the Maritz & Young homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places within Saint Louis, as they are deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance.
Home to the University City Public School system.
Suzie's integrity and work ethic deliver a level of service that is at the forefront of today's real estate market and her knowledge of the St. Louis Real Estate market has secured the trust of her clients and the respect of her colleagues.
