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William B. Ittner, the St. Louisan who revolutionized the construction of schools across the country, had an important connection to Kirkwood, as well as The Hill and Cheltenham neighborhoods of St. Louis. That connection had everything to do with bricks.
As Gary Ross Mormino wrote in his book, âImmigrants on the Hill,â the Cheltenham District that supplied St. Louis and other cities across the country with brick became an important place of employment for Italian immigrants, many of whom settled in homes in The Hill neighborhood. The areaâs rich deposits of clay and coal, which were needed to fire the kilns, made St. Louis the leading manufacturer of bricks for many years. The development of Manchester Road and the cityâs access to the railroads and two rivers eased transportation concerns for their sale to other cities.