Huntleigh

 

 

With just over 300 residents, Huntleigh is the smallest and most exclusive community in the St. Louis region. This wooded suburb is known for its equestrian attractions, a reputation earned when the Bridlespur Horse Show began in the 1930s. Many property owners maintain personal stables on their property. Their expansive, grassy properties provide an ideal setting for lovers of nature and wildlife. This insular municipality, centrally located within St. Louis County, is purely residential. In this small enclave, there is no industry or shopping district to detract from expansive fields, wooded properties, and stately mansions. Wall Street Cheat Sheet named Huntleigh as the wealthiest community in America. Residents have a median income of $2.7 million and include prominent St. Louisans such as August Busch IV and Arnold W. Donald.

 

Huntleigh's settlement began when Stephen Maddox purchased 652 acres southwest of present-day Ladue in the early 1800s. The Oregon Trail would run through some of this land from 1811 until 1840. This estate would remain in the hands of the Maddox family until a partition in the 1870s. Edward Bakewell purchased the 125-acre Waltenspiel Estate in 1925. Other prominent St. Louisans soon followed, making the secluded and spacious Huntleigh a destination for St. Louis' elite. In 1947, through the annexation of Huntleigh Woods, the village reached its present size of 750 acres (1.2 square miles). The local topography, including gently rolling hills and spacious meadows, made the village an ideal location for riding horses. In 1927, Bakewell and Augustus Busch Sr. founded the Bridlespur Hunt, a fox-hunting club that attracted the area's rich and famous residents. The Hunt has since relocated to St. Charles County, but Huntleigh retains its rural character and remains a haven for equestrians.

 

With a population of roughly 300 and not much more than 100 houses, Huntleigh homes are rarely available. When they are sold, they often do not become available on the open market. As a result, buying a home in this exclusive municipality is a rare opportunity not to be passed up. Homes sell for a median price of over $1 million. There is limited data about the village's housing market, as only 5 homes have been sold in the past year. The one constant in Huntleigh housing is abundant space. Almost all homes are on lots of at least 3 acres. Expansive 15-acre estates are not uncommon. Driving down streets such as Huntleigh Manor Drive or Squires Lane, visitors notice long winding driveways leading to properties of sloped hills and impeccable landscapes. Homes are often composed of either pristine limestone or imposing brick.

 

As a purely residential community, the village of Huntleigh has no commercial or industrial developments. Community members are drawn to its natural beauty and abundant space. Many equestrian homeowners keep stables on their property and are active in St. Louis' horse riding and hunting communities. These expansive properties, located in prestigious subdivisions such as Bridle Ridge Estates and Huntleigh Woods, are often filled with entertainment for sports-loving homeowners.

 

Students in Huntleigh are served by the Kirkwood and Ladue school districts. Ladue schools have a glowing reputation and are considered to be among the finest schools in the state. Not to be outdone, Kirkwood schools have a proven track record of producing high-achieving students. Whether they attend school in Kirkwood or Ladue, students from Huntleigh receive one of the finest educations that the state of Missouri has to offer.