Historic Hanley House

7600 Westmoreland Avenue, Clayton, MO
314-290-8553

Admission is $5; children - $2:

on-street parking is free

https://www.claytonmo.gov/government/parks-recreation/historic-hanley-house  

Opened in 1971.

Blacksmith Martin Franklin Hanley built the Historic Hanley House in 1855.  The farmstead is the oldest structure in the City of Clayton.  Not surprisingly it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house was built on 100.6 acres in the Greek Revival style familiar to Hanley who had moved to Missouri from Virginia where there were similarly-styled plantations. Upon settling in the house Hanley left blacksmithing for farming. 

The restored home has 8 rooms on 2 floors. It is today an historic house museum filled with original family furnishings and artifacts such as seen in this first floor parlor and other first floor rooms. 

Wallpaper in the dining-room are replicas of the original papers.

The Christmas tree with real candles sits by the window as in olden days so that if the fire gets out of control the tree can be thrown out the window. 

On the back of the house one can see the second story balcony where the men and boys would sleep when it was too hot to sleep in the house. Their bedrooms were on the back of the house. 

The attached building housed the outdoor kitchen and the hired man's room. 

Their kitchen slave also lived in this kitchen, sleeping at night on the brick floor. She had several children who also lived with her in the kitchen.

The hired man who helped in the fields lived in the other half of the building but he had a bed on which to sleep! 

His room also had a fireplace and armoire.  

The outbuildings include the reconstructed well and the privy. 

The house remained in the possession of the Hanley family until 1968 when the City of Clayton purchased the house plus approximately one acre of land from the granddaughter of Martin Hanley. The city added this outbuilding which includes modern bathrooms and a work area for local school classes or scout groups. 

Near the restrooms stands this wonderful miniature library, a replica of the house. 

Several green signs on the property include further information about the house and family. 

Comments:The house has been beautifully restored certainly made easier by all of the Hanley belongings which remained in the house when Clayton purchased it.  We had a very knowledgeable guide dressed in period garment who gave us a complete tour of the first floor and the attached building.  Unfortunately the decision was made on this day that the upstairs would not be toured because of the extra time needed to see the other four rooms and the existence of only one tour guide. 

A walk through the house definitely gave you a picture of what a Civil War - Gay 90's house in St. Louis looked like. 

The stories of the Hanleys and early pioneering families of that area were told well and were very interesting as so many of the names were recognizable as they are used as street names today, such as Hanley himself.  

From May to October the house is open every Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4:00. All other days and months the house is open by appointment only.  Obviously the house is open for special functions, especially for educational groups.

I would like to go back sometime and see the entire house.