Burglary on Kensington Avenue
Burglars took advantage of the weather on a bitterly cold Saturday night in St. Louis during January 1904 to steal $100 in jewelry from 5161 Kensington Avenue. Today, the jewelry would be worth more than $3,000. Hiram Phillips, President of the Board of Public Improvements for the City of St. Louis, owned the home.
Phillips and his family were away for the weekend. The Monday, January 25, 1904 edition of the St. Louis Republic did not say where they were staying but they picked an odd time to travel. In St. Louis that night, it was 16 degrees Fahrenheit at the time of the burglary.
St. Louis Police badge from early 20th Century (Public Domain)
The two burglars may have known that Hiram Phillips and his family were traveling. The burglars pried open the kitchen window in the rear of Hiram Phillips’ home. The burglars counted on the weather to keeping St. Louis Police Officers indoors.
The burglars ransacked the first floor but did not take anything. They hit the jackpot in a second floor bedroom. The burglars stole two gold rings, a gold chain, a gold watch and an opal ring set.
A servant discovered the burglary on Sunday morning, January 24, 1904 at 6 a.m. The servant estimated the value of the missing jewelry for the St. Louis Police. St. Louis Police believed that at least two burglars were involved.
Hiram Phillips was a heavy hitter in St. Louis politics, so the public put great pressure on the police to solve the crime in the upper middle class neighborhood. Besides the Phillips’ home, Sally Benson’s family also lived on the block. She wrote the story which would become Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) (affiliate link).
5161 Kensington Avenue rear entrance. Burglars pried one of the back windows up – Courtesy of Google Earth
The 5161 Kensington Avenue house still exists. Built in 1894, the Land Revitalization Authority (LRA) owns the property. It will suffer the same fate as the Benson house at 5135 Kensington Avenue.
Sally Benson lived at 5135 Kensington Avenue during the 1904 World’s Fair. The home fell into disrepair in the 1980s. During its last building inspection in 1989, inspectors found 24 violations. The city tore down the Benson house in 1994.
5161 Kensington Avenue front entrance – Courtesy of Geo St. Louis
Hiram Phillips played a critical role in making improvements to the public infrastructure in preparation for the 1904 World’s Fair. Yet even he did not escape the increasing crime that came with the Fair. It would make for an exciting year for St. Louis and the St. Louis Police.
You should borrow or rent a copy of Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) or find it through a streaming service. It will take you back to the most magical and challenging time in St. Louis history.
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