Greater Ville in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Shelley House
Shelley Vs Kraemer
Photographed By Jason Voigt, June 21, 2020
1. The Shelley House Marker
The 1948 home of J.D. & Ethel Shelley was the focus of one of the most famous equal protection cases, Shelley vs. Kraemer. The landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court, rendered May 3, 1948, held that racial restrictive covenants cannot be enforced in the land.
Dedicated a historic site, May 1, 1988 on the fortieth anniversary year of the Shelley case, and approved April 1988 by the National Register of Historic Places.
Rededicated by Saint Louis Realtors and Northside Community Housing, Inc. May 3, 2018, in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court decision.
Erected 2019 by Girl Friends, Inc. (St. Louis Chapter), Anheuser-Busch, Inc. and Saint Louis Realtors and Northside Community Housing.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Civil Rights. A significant historical year for this entry is 1948.
Location. 38° 40.033′ N, 90° 14.695′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Greater Ville. Marker is on Labadie Avenue just east of Cora Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Marker is in front of the Shelley House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4600 Labadie Ave, Saint Louis MO 63115, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the
this page online
More about this marker. A plaque (with the same text) stood in that exact location from 1988 until it was stolen some time in 2018. The new marker was dedicated on January 18, 2019, with local leaders in attendance (see the NPR St. Louis link below).
Also see . . .
1. The Shelley House on Wikipedia. (Submitted on June 21, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
2. Shelley v. Kraemer on Wikipedia. A more-detailed look at the historic civil rights court case, which gave African-Americans hope for social change in the late 1940's. (Submitted on June 21, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
3. The Shelley House (National Park Service). Contains some information about the historic house as well as the legacy of the court case. The house was added to the African American Civil Rights
Photographed By Jason Voigt, June 21, 2020
2. The Shelley House Marker
In front of the Shelley House, which is a private residence and not open for tours
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 575 times since then and 135 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2020, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
