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Historic Hanley House
DESCRIPTION: The grounds are typical of Missouri farms of 1855-1894. The Hanley House is Greek Revival and the furnishings are from 1820-1890. When the St. Louis county seat was established in Clayton, Missouri in the mid-1800's, Martin Franklin Hanley donated four acres to the cause. Ralph Clayton, whose farm adjoined the Hanley's property, donated 100 acres which is why the county seat is called Clayton, not Hanley, Missouri.
ADDRESS: 7600 Westmoreland, Clayton, MO 63105
LOCATION: St. Louis County, eight miles west of downtown St. Louis in suburban Clayton.
PHONE NUMBER: 314-290-8516
GETTING THERE: From downtown St. Louis, take I-64 to Hanley. Go north on Hanley, cross Forsyth, go two blocks north and make a right on Westmoreland. Hanley House is a half block down on the right.
HOURS: 1-4 p.m., Saturday. Groups of 10 or more can schedule a tour at other times if they call two weeks in advance.
ADMISSION: $1, adults; 50 cent, children 12 and under
HIGHLIGHTS:
- The house has eight rooms -- 4 up and 4 down and they are all the same size--14 x 14 feet with 10.5-foot ceilings.
- The windows are "six over six," considered very fashionable at the time.
- There are porches on the front and on the back of the house similar to many farmhouses of the period throughout Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Kansas, and Illinois.
- The settee in the living room is said to have come from the estate of Thomas Hart Benton.
- All of the lamps originally burned oil but they have been "electrified." There are no chandeliers in the house nor have there ever been.
- Every room has a fireplace and each one burns coal.
- A set of dominos in one of the downstairs rooms is wood with metal tops and dates from the Victorian period in the 1850's.
WHAT'S FUN FOR KIDS: Some docents are very knowledgeable about the Hanley family which included 10 children and can relate interesting points about them.
HISTORY: Hanley built his Greek Revival-style home in 1855 on a site that was then considered far out in the country from a pattern he ordered by mail for 25 cents. The house was 23 years old when the first Clayton courthouse was built making it the oldest house in Clayton. Now it stands on a quiet residential street in the shadow of the town's modern office buildings. Eighty per cent of the furnishings are original. The Hanleys had 10 children and when their last granddaughter moved to a nursing home in 1969, the family sold the house to the city of Clayton which restored it and operates it. Thanks to the granddaughters, who rarely threw anything away, the home has most of its original furnishings giving visitors a window on life in a 19th century American farmhouse.
WHERE TO GET LUNCH: Downtown Clayton is just a couple of blocks away and offers a wide array of popular eating places.
WHAT'S NEARBY: Steinberg Gallery at Washington University is about five minutes away; Forest Park and the University City Loop Neighborhood with interesting shops and restaurants are about 10 minutes away.
PUBLIC RELATIONS CONTACT: Patty Deforrest director of Parks & Recreations for the city of Clayton which maintains the home; 314-290-8506.
Readers should call 1-800-916-0040 to request a free copy of the Official St. Louis Visitor Guide or point, click and explore St. Louis at www.explorestlouis.com
