During Henry Shaw’s lifetime, the garden began to take shape.
Although Shaw owned the land all the way from Grand Avenue on
the East to Kingshighway on the West (see map), the garden he
planned was to be a relatively narrow strip running to the north
from his country home. The land immediately to the south of this
strip would become Tower Grove Park in 1868; Shaw’s other major
gift to the city of St. Louis. This large Victorian Park
stretches all the way from Grand Avenue to Kingshighway. It is
noted for its many bandstands and structures, and for the
statues that Shaw had placed in the park of Shakespeare and
other people. The park, even during Shaw’s life, was a frequent
site of musical performances, many of which were sponsored by
Shaw himself. Early maps show the rectangular layout of the
Garden in the 1870s. At the extreme North end was the
fruticetum, a place for the growing of shrubby plants. The
parking lots are located on this area now. To the south of this
area were two greenhouses. In 1868, Shaw bu