Only 34 years old when she died of peritonitis on April 15, 1891, Charlotte Augusta Dickson Wainwright was said to be the most beautiful woman in St. Louis.

In 1901, Wainwright fled the United States after being indicted for bribery, but he later returned and died in St. Louis in 1924, then was entombed with his wife.

After his death, an endowment was established that provided for the reconstruction or renovation of the tomb in case of earthquake or vandalism.

[2] The tomb was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 15, 1970 and became a St. Louis Landmark in 1971.

[3] The tomb is a domed cubic building with walls of concrete covered in limestone on the exterior.