Crestwood, Missouri

Crestwood, Missouri
Country	United States
State	Missouri
Settled	1949
Population	11,912 (2010 census)
Area (sq mi)	3.60 mi²
Current mayor	Grant Mabie

Crestwood is a city in south St. Louis County, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. It had a population of 11,912 at the 2010 census.

History

The Crestwood area began to be settled by families of American pioneers during the early 19th century. Though a number of these were involved in the process, the most prominent were some natives of Kentucky, by the name of Sappington. One of these, Thomas Sappington, built a house in 1808 which is the oldest still-standing brick home in the St. Louis area. The nearby Arban House, built by his brother Mark Sappington, dates to the 1840s. The family name lives on in various local designations, such as Sappington Road, an important street in the modern community.

During the 20th century, the area was steadily filled with suburban developments, and in 1949 became incorporated as the city of Crestwood: a name that may have been taken from "Crestwood Drive," a street in one of the newly laid-out neighborhoods. After a period of rapid growth, its population peaking at just over 15,000 in 1970, Crestwood declined somewhat before stabilizing in the 1990s, and since then has held steady in size and prosperity.

Geography

Crestwood is located in the southern part of St. Louis County, its center about 11 miles southwest of downtown St. Louis. It shares a border with Kirkwood and Sunset Hills to its west, Oakland and Webster Groves to its north, and Grantwood Village to its southeast. Missouri State Highway 366 (locally known as Watson Road) is the main east-west thoroughfare, while Big Bend Road and Eddie & Park Road form its northern and southern limits, respectively. Its official coordinates are 38°33′27″N 90°22′34″W.

The city lies on fairly level, elevated terrain east of the Meramec River. It is drained by Gravois Creek, a minor sub-tributary of the Mississippi River. Crestwood has a total area of 3.60 square miles, and an average elevation of 620 feet.

Demographics

At the 2010 census, Crestwood had a total of 11,912 inhabitants, grouped into 5,153 households, with a population density of 3,309.8 people per square mile. This figure was virtually unchanged from the 2000 census, when Crestwood had a population of 11,863. 93.75% of the inhabitants were White, 1.60% were African-American, 0.15% were Native American, 2.35% were Asian, 0.06% were Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.41% were from some other race, and 1.67% were from two or more races. Hispanics of any race were 1.92% of the population.

The median age in Crestwood was 46 years, with 20.5% of inhabitants under the age of 18, 6.1% between 18 and 24 years old, 22.0% between 25 and 44, 29.2% between 45 and 64, and 22.3% 65 years old or older. The sex ratio was 47.1% male, 52.9% female.

According to the 2018 American Community Survey, Crestwood had a median household income of $76,875, and a median family income of $96,544. The unemployment rate was 3.2%. The per capita income was $38,619. About 6.4% of the population lived below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.4% of those 65 years of age or older.

Government

Crestwood has a mayor-council form of government, its elected officials consisting of a mayor and a board of aldermen, two of which represent each of the city's four wards. All officials are elected for three-year terms in alternating years. The current mayor of Crestwood is Grant Mabie, who has served in that role since 2018.

Crestwood is part of the 91st District for the Missouri House of Representatives, which is currently represented by Sarah Unsicker (D-Shrewsbury), first elected in November 2016. It also belongs to the 1st District in the Missouri Senate, represented since 2021 by Doug Beck (D-St. Louis), and to the state's 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, represented since 2013 by Ann Wagner (R-Ballwin).

Education

Most of Crestwood falls into the Lindbergh School District, though a small portion is served by the adjacent Affton School District. Local schools include Crestwood and Long Elementary Schools (grades K-5) and Truman Middle School (6-8), all of which belong to Lindbergh.

The city also has one of several campuses for Holy Cross Academy, a K-8 institution operated by the Roman Catholic Church.

Points of Interest

The city of Crestwood operates the Thomas Sappington Historic Site, at what is now 1015 South Sappington Road. The site's centerpiece is the Thomas Sappington House, built in 1808; besides being the oldest existing brick house in the St. Louis area, it is also considered an outstanding example of post-Revolutionary or "Federal" architecture. Tours of the house and its period furnishings are available to the public, and the grounds are frequently used for weddings, private parties, and community events.

Also of interest is the nearby Sappington Cemetery, which includes graves for veterans of most of America's conflicts up to and including World War I. One such marker is of John Sappington, who was a bodyguard for George Washington at Valley Forge.