1895 Promotional Map of Compton Heights, St. Louis, Missouri

A rare c. 1895 chromolithograph view promotional real estate map of Compton Heights, St. Louis, Missouri. Compton Heights is one of the first planned communities int the United States and one of the most historic and beautiful neighborhoods in St. Louis. The promotional consists of two maps, printed back-to-back on a single sheet. The title side features a smaller map of Compton Heights covering from Tower Grover Park to the Electric Railroad on California Ave, and from Halliday Ave to Layfette Ave. Below the map, there are advertising promoting the virtues of Compton Heights and the real estate agents, Boeck, Rutledge, and Horton, from whom the properties could be acquired. The verso features a much large map, identifying individual lots as well as existing properties and the property owners.

Compton Heights

Located in St. Louis, Compton Heights was one of America's earlies planned residential developments. The 'Compton Hill Improvement Company' was founded in 1888 by wealth real-estate speculators, among them Mississippi River shipping magnate Henry C. Haarstick (1836 - 1919) and the Prussian born landscape designer, Julius Pitzman (1837 - 1923). Comprimising some 250 acres, Compton Heights was intended to represent the apex of luxury and modernity, with above-street grading for each lot, sewers, gas and electric lights, water, Telford pavements, Granitoid sidewalks, and more. Pitzman laid out the serpentine streets with architectural foresight, ensuring that each property had a pleasant line of sight, and easy access to communal resources. The properties also came with, at the time, unique restrictions meant to preserve the character of the neighborhood,

• A building line is established individually from the street and no building or part may extend over, except the steps and platform in front of the main door - and even that may not be more than eight feet.
• Only one building, and that a private residence, on any lot. Absolutely no flats or businesses.
• The building, with the exception of the portes cochere, may not be closer to the side of the lot than 10 feet.
• Buildings must cost at least 7000 USD.
• Subsequent successor or buyers will be bound by the same restrictions.

Most of these regulations are still in effect and helped to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood during the Great Depression and Post-War decades. Today Compton Heights is one of St. Louis's most beautiful neighborhoods.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic effects. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when it emerged as the dominate method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This map was first printed by the St. Louis firm Buxton and Skinner in 1893, shortly after the Compton Heights development offered for sale. At this time only a handful of homes had been built and some 160 lots remained unsold. The map was reprinted for a second sales drive in 1895, as here, wherein the 'Buxton and Skinner' imprint was removed and the available lots changed to 135. The realters also changed from Harstick and Pitzman, to Boeck, Rutledge and Horton. Including the present map, there are but two known surviving examples of the promotional map, and only one of the present issue. The only other known example is in the Missouri Historical Society Library.