The History of The Hill
How a community of Italian immigrants built one of America’s best-known Little Italys on a rise of clay above St. Louis.
Clay, brick and a new start
In the late 1800s, immigrants from northern Italy and Sicily arrived on the high ground southwest of downtown St. Louis to work in the clay mines and brickworks. They settled close to the work, in modest shotgun houses and brick bungalows, and began to build a neighborhood around family, faith and food.
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Moments that shaped the neighborhood
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Late 1800s
Immigrants arrive
Italian families settle near the clay mines and brick factories, forming the core of a tight-knit community.
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Early 1900s
A parish of their own
St. Ambrose parish is established and becomes the spiritual and social center of the neighborhood.
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1920s
St. Ambrose rises
The landmark Lombard Romanesque church is built after a fire destroys the original, still anchoring The Hill today.
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1940s
Hometown heroes
Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola, who grew up on the same block of Elizabeth Avenue, become major league stars.
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Today
A living tradition
Family restaurants, bakeries, markets and the red, white and green hydrants draw visitors from across the region.
Hydrants, bocce and toasted ravioli
Some of The Hill’s traditions are hard to miss: fire hydrants painted in the colors of the Italian flag, bocce courts behind neighborhood taverns, and St. Louis’ own toasted ravioli, a local favorite with deep roots in the neighborhood.
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