4theville

04/08/2026

03/17/2026

Step back into St. Louis history with our 2-hour guided walking tour.

In the mid-20th century, the area around Union Station was ground zero for massive urban renewal projects. Entire neighborhoods like Chestnut Valley and Mill Creek were bulldozed in the name of “progress,” uprooting thousands of families and erasing vibrant communities.

Join our See STL Tour to uncover the people, places and policies behind these lost neighborhoods, and see how their legacy still shapes the city today.

Tours are wheelchair accessible.

🗓️ Sunday, March 29
⏰ 10am-12pm
🎟️ $17 MHS members | $22 per person
🔗 Register online: https://bit.ly/46UiVVj

After the tour, be sure to visit our “Mill Creek: Black Metropolis” exhibit to dive deeper into the lives of those who lived in this historic neighborhood.

03/17/2026

4theville stands with Vanessa Foster-Cooksey and Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis any day and every day. Protect the arts. Protect servant leaders.

03/07/2026

THANK YOU for showing up and showing out for the Plan Area 5 launch event!! More than 200 community members came to document their thoughts, hopes and experiences that will shape priorities for the Rising Together Neighborhood Plan.

This sponsored plan includes the Academy-Sherman Park and Fountain Park Lewis Place neighborhoods. Plan Area 5 is co-designed with a group of 15 dedicated community members who live, work and play in the plan area.

Know that we can’t do this work alone… This plan takes all of us, and we want YOU to join our team!

With this incredibly successful launch, we’re seeking PAID neighborhood ambassadors to spread the word about this plan. You could earn $22/hr just for walking around your neighborhood, talking to your neighbors!

Apply now and learn more about Plan Area 5 at bit.ly/RisingTogetherSTL. Applications are due next Friday, March 13!

03/06/2026

The Cultural Blvd Plan is nearing completion, and we want to celebrate with our neighbors! Meet us at the Blvd Dream Info Center on March 21st for updates and a good time!

02/21/2026

Few schools can claim a legacy as rich and influential as Sumner High School. Located in St. Louis’s Ville neighborhood, Sumner was the first high school for Black students west of the Mississippi River.

Its teachers, principals, and supporting staff nurtured students who went on to shape the world through arts and entertainment, education, the civil rights movement, and sports.

Named after Charles Sumner, a US senator from Massachusetts who fought for the abolition of slavery, Sumner High School originally opened in 1875 at 11th and Spruce streets. In 1895 it moved to 15th and Walnut streets. After parents protested its poor location and lack of amenities, Sumner opened a state-of-the-art facility located at 4248 West Cottage Avenue, a building that remains a jewel in the Ville neighborhood.

Students received a world-class and rigorous education despite racism, segregation, harsh discrimination, and limited funding. And while the city and school board have contemplated its closure several times, Sumner’s alumni, staff, community, and students continue fighting for it.

Learn more about some of Sumner's illustrious alumni: https://bit.ly/4rWm9zE

02/06/2026

Great neighborhoods don't just happen—they're shaped by people like you.

A new neighborhood plan is in the works for Academy-Sherman Park and Fountain Park Lewis Place, and we want to hear from you. Your stories, your priorities, your ideas.

Help shape the next 20 years. Join us for the Community Launch Event on Thursday, February 12 from 5-8 PM at Third Degree Glass Factory.

bit.ly/RisingTogetherSTL

11/15/2025

Opening day of the Mill Creek exhibit, and we could not be more excited!

We are happy to announce that our 4theVille memory tellers, will be serving as exhibit guides for the Mill Creek Black Metropolis exhibit at !

We are humbled that MHS and the amazing Ms. Gwen Moore are trusting us with this extremely important narrative! The kindred relationship between Mill Creek and The Ville is unquestionable, and we are honored to celebrate the St. Louis Black Metropolis!

Register for a private tour of the exhibit and spend time with us! And if you can't do it with us, PLEASE find the time to visit the exhibit!! 🙏🏽🙏🏽

10/06/2025

🚨 Exciting news! In partnership with Ranken Technical College - St. Louis & 4theville, SLDC is one of 8 coalitions selected by the New Growth Innovation Network for the SCALE (Strategic Capacity for Advancing Local Economies) program! SCALE is a 12-month initiative designed to help Small & Midsized Cities advance community wealth & commercial real estate projects through coaching, peer learning, technical assistance & project support. Participating coalitions will also take part in a fully funded immersive learning trip to Cincinnati in late October to explore best practices in community-led economic development.

🏢As part of the Commercial Real Estate (CRE) Track, the St. Louis coalition will focus on building neighborhood wealth in The Ville by combining commercial redevelopment with workforce training, local ownership models & community-led cultural initiatives. SCALE coalitions in the CRE strengthen business corridors, create community-owned assets, and expand Black entrepreneurship.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/GZjM50X7hMF

10/03/2025

https://www.aidaade.com/event-details/silly-dreams-album-release-show

Come hear Ms. Aida Ade! Not only is she an amazing artist, but she is also our beloved therapist at Sumner High School and showing our arts pathways love with this benefit concert!

🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

Join us in celebrating Aida Ade's debut album: Silly Dreams with special performances by REVÉ, Rachel Bouzier, and The Dhoruba Collective! ALL PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL'S ARTS PROGRAMMING.

09/25/2025

I Am the kinfolk providing tours and experiences that celebrate and uplift Black stories, people, spaces and history.

I am reclaiming the legacy of The Ville, restoring community pride and transforming our public spaces into a cultural destination.

I am the steward that leverages our past as the currency of our future.

I Am Sumner High, Homer Phillips Hospital, Poro College, Stowe College, Lincoln Law, and Turner Open Air. I am the Father of Rock AND the Queen of Rock. I am The Ville legacy.

I am a lifetime resident that believes deeply that our time is NOW.

I Am 4theVille.

I Am St. Louis

07/04/2025

We're excited to welcome our summer doctoral interns! They will be supporting 4theVille and community partners with public history and preservation projects. They will also work with our partners at .stl on disaster relief efforts.