Wainwright Tomb, Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum White Line Tour Stop 14

Bellefontaine Cemetery and Arboretum is a key cultural institution in St. Louis, offering visitors a beautiful atmosphere for exploring history, art, architecture, and nature. We have a 3.7-mile newly-painted white line to follow while in your car, on your bike, or on foot for your own self-guided tour. An interactive map is available on our website, or you can find a paper copy outside of our office doors highlighting 38 historic stops along the white line.
Stop 14 on the white line tour belongs to the Wainwright Mausoleum, also referred to as the Wainwright Tomb. Shortly after the construction of the Wainwright Building in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri—a National Historic Landmark generally considered to be the first skyscraper in the world—Charlotte Dickson Wainwright, the wife of wealthy St. Louis brewery owner Ellis Wainwright, died. Ellis commissioned noted Chicago School architect Louis Sullivan to design a tomb for his wife and himself, which was completed in 1892. Ellis died in St. Louis in 1924 and was entombed with his wife.

In the mausoleum, Sullivan combined two ancient forms: a half circle (dome) with a cube. The only ornament is a border of stone richly incised with tulip and leaf motifs. The double doors are framed by delicate stone carvings in a snowflake pattern. This unique tomb is considered the Taj Mahal of St. Louis. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 1970 and became a St. Louis Landmark in 1971.

Please enjoy this short video highlighting the Wainwright Mausoleum, stop #14 on Bellefontaine Cemetery’s white line tour. Sign up to receive more information about the history of BCA. http://bellefontainecemetery.org/enew....