In 1769, Illinois Country French settlers established the first European settlement in modern-day Southwest Garden with the creation of the Prairie des Noyers Commons, a large tract of agricultural land between Grand Avenue and Kingshighway Boulevard.

In the 19th century, this communal land on the fringe of a growing St. Louis was gradually sold off to private landowners, including Henry Shaw.

This spurred the subdivision of several nearby tracts, including Tower Grove Place between Kingshighway and Alfred Avenue in 1870.

In 1897, the Missouri Street Railroad Company constructed a new streetcar line to Southampton extending down Vandeventer Avenue and Kingshighway, increasing the viability of residential development in the area.

The Garden generated substantial revenue from selling the land to developers, who constructed a variety of multi-family buildings over the following decade.

Following the subdivision planning principles of renowned landscape architect Henry Wright, Noyes designed a curved street grid that conformed to the tract’s irregular borders.