Aloe Plaza

History

In 1923 city voters passed an $87 million bond issue that would fund public improvements, including a civic center downtown. At the time city leaders felt the "slums" that fronted the city's large public buildings were a "depressing influence" on visitors to St. Louis. Using funds from the bond issue the city cleared the block in front of Union Station and opened Aloe Plaza in 1932. Originally the plaza was lightly landscaped with only trees around its perimeter and a circular garden in the center.

In 1940 the city added Carl Milles' fountain, Meeting of the Waters, to the center of the block. Symbolizing the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, two large figures represent each river and seventeen mythical creatures representing smaller tributaries adorn the fountain.

In 1969, a small extension named Aloe Plaza West opened to the west of 20th Street. Initially the extension was underutilized green space near the ramps to a never built north-south distributor highway. After being awarded a Major League Soccer team in 2020, team owners elected to demolish the distributor ramps and incorporate Aloe Plaza West into the stadium site and the Brickline Greenway along Market Street.

Originally, the 2009 Gateway Mall Master Plan identified Aloe Plaza and Aloe Plaza West as the Mall's terminus. Aloe Plaza was recommended to get some basic landscaping improvements with some additional gardens. In 2020, the master plan was amended to include Energizer Park (and Aloe Plaza West) as the terminus. Before, the plan had proposed an observation earthwork mound for the west extension, similar to the ancient mounds at Cahokia.

''Meeting of the Waters''

Aloe Plaza is dominated by the large fountain Meeting of the Waters, a St. Louis landmark designed by Carl Milles, symbolizing the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Two large figures represent the two rivers, and seventeen mythical creatures representing smaller tributaries adorn the fountain.

Meeting of the Waters is Milles' best known American work. Edith Aloe, Louis P. Aloe’s widow, was instrumental in Meeting of the Waters being funded and commissioned.The statue was commissioned in 1936, completed in 1939, and unveiled on May 11, 1940.

Initially, the fountain met some criticism for its irreverent features, particularly for the nudity of the main figures (male and female figures representing the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, respectively). Milles had named the fountain Wedding of the Waters and conceived the seventeen smaller naked figures as a wedding party. Officials felt that a nude wedding ceremony was offensive, and insisted that the name be changed to Meeting of the Waters.

References

References

1. "The Evolution of the Gateway Mall (Part 4): Building the Civic Center, 1919-1960 – Preservation Research Office".
2. (2012-01-10). "The Evolution of the Gateway Mall (Part 3): The Central Traffic Parkway Plan of 1912 – Preservation Research Office".
3. "Meeting of the Waters Fountain".
4. "Aloe Plaza West".
5. (2013-06-18). "Aloe Plaza and Aloe Plaza West".
6. Byrnes, Mark. (May 16, 2024). "St. Louis Fills a Downtown Void With Soccer".
7. (July 2009). "St. Louis Gateway Mall Master Plan".
8. Roe, Don. (February 3, 2020). "Resolution for Amendment #1 of St. Louis Gateway Mall Master Plan".
9. (July 2009). "St. Louis Gateway Mall Master Plan".
10. "– Carl Milles' Meeting of the Waters in Aloe PlazaUrbanReview {{!}} ST LOUIS".
11. "Aloe Plaza". City of St Louis.
12. Steve Patterson. (June 23, 2011). "Carl Milles' Meeting of the Waters in Aloe Plaza". Urban Reviews.