Former residents and descendants of the Pruitt-Igoe housing complex will join to honor the lives, stories, and resilience of one of St. Louis’ most storied communities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday May 4, 2025, at St. Stanislaus Church, 1413 North 20th Street, and along Cass Avenue
The unveiling and dedication of a historic marker on the original Pruitt-Igoe site will be part of the celebration. Its purpose is to memorialize the community and illuminate unresolved health and environmental issues linked to the site’s toxic legacy.
The day will include the 2nd Annual Memorial Walk of former residents and families carrying banners with the names of their original buildings, live music and entertainment, a children’s Village, food trucks, and interactive art.
A video recording booth will also be on site to capture personal stories of families impacted by the Pruitt-Igoe demolition and chemical exposure.
Speakers will highlight the work with the EPA and local environmental advocacy groups, including organizers from Coldwater Creek.
Named for Tuskegee Airman Captain Wendell O. Pruitt and Congressman William L. Igoe, the Pruitt-Igoe public housing project was built in 1954.
It was first viewed as an “oasis,” as families beautified their spaces with landscaping and other projects. Poor construction, maintenance issues, crime, broken promises, and failed social policies, led to a downward spiral.
Its first buildings thundered to the ground after an implosion in 1972. The last of the buildings were brought down in 1977.
My grandparents were farmers from Waterloo Illinois. They had an egg route and delivered their eggs weekly to customers in Pruitt-Igoe until 1965. They stopped only because Grandpa died after a car accident.