Hazelwood's Oldest Schoolhouse Was Rebuilt Brick by Brick in Brookes Park. Here's How to See It This Fall.

When the Old Elm Grove School was rebuilt in Brookes Park, the crew turned its original brick faces inward. The outside of the building you see today is the back of the brick that once faced the weather. St. Louis County's landmark entry says the rebuilding was done "brick by brick" so the school would look the way it did in 1890.

The schoolhouse is one of three historic buildings at 420 Brookes Drive, on the southwest side of the Lindbergh and I-270 interchange. On Saturday, October 24, Hazelwood Parks and Recreation and the Historic Preservation Commission will host a candlelit walking tour of the park's 19th-century history. One building was moved here to make room for a shopping center, and another has two names and two construction dates, depending on whose records you read.

A schoolhouse that gave up its corner to a shopping center

The St. Louis County landmarks page for Hazelwood dates the Old Elm Grove School, which most people know as the Little Red School House, to about 1852. The County calls it the earliest school building in the county. Its plain brick, one-room design was typical of rural schools of the period.

The school closed in 1952, after the Hazelwood School District was organized. Nine years later, in 1961, the building was moved to Brookes Park to clear its original site for a shopping center. The City of Hazelwood owns it and restored it as a museum of school history.

So the oldest school building in the county sits in a city park because commercial development needed its first lot. It was rebuilt there to match its 1890 appearance, with its original brick faces turned inside.

A log house with two birth dates

The County calls the second building the Stuart-Utz House, a two-story dog-trot log house. That's a house with two sections joined by a central passage. The County credits Alexander Stuart of Virginia, described as a friend of Lewis and Clark, as the builder and says the house was "probably constructed between 1819 and 1824." Julius Utz bought it in 1832, and his nephew Franklin T. Utz inherited it in 1839. The Utz family owned it until 1914.

Historic Saint Louis calls the same structure the Utz-Teson House and gives a much earlier date. Its listing says the house "was built in 1782, with additions added over several years," and labels the Brookes Park site "1782-1820 French Creole Style." The City of Hazelwood also uses the Utz-Teson name.

That puts the two accounts nearly four decades apart. A building with additions made over several years could fairly be dated more than one way, and the "1782-1820" range on the Historic Saint Louis listing may be one way of covering both. The sources don't explain the gap, and a walking tour focused on the park's history is a good place to ask about it.

The County entry also places the house in Civil War history. It says the Utz family "was one of many here who held Southern sympathies during the Civil war."

The third house, and the timeline the three buildings share

The Knobbe House rounds out the group. Historic Saint Louis dates it to 1877. The City names all three as Brookes Park's historic structures: the Knobbe House, the Utz-Teson House and the Little Red School House. Its Brookes Park page lists historic buildings among the park's features, along with a pavilion, picnic areas, a playground and restrooms.

Together, the three buildings cover more than a century of local history. Here are the dates in order, drawn from the County and Historic Saint Louis:

1. 1782: Construction date Historic Saint Louis gives for the Utz-Teson House.
2. 1819 to 1824: The County's "probably constructed" window for the same house, under the Stuart-Utz name.
3. 1832: Julius Utz buys the log house.
4. 1839: Franklin T. Utz inherits it.
5. About 1852: The Old Elm Grove School is built on its original site.
6. 1877: The Knobbe House, per Historic Saint Louis.
7. 1890: The year the schoolhouse's restoration was designed to match.
8. 1914: The Utz family's ownership of the log house ends.
9. 1952: The Old Elm Grove School closes.
10. 1961: The school is moved to Brookes Park and rebuilt brick by brick.

Brookes Park was the last stop in that timeline, for the schoolhouse at least. The park works more like a collection than a single historic site: its buildings span roughly a century of local history. The sources reviewed for this post don't say whether the Knobbe House or the log house also came from somewhere else. The schoolhouse is the one with a documented move.

What October 24 offers

The City's event is called Spirits and S'mores: An Evening at Brookes Park. It runs Saturday, October 24, 2026, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Hazelwood Parks and Recreation and the Historic Preservation Commission are co-hosting.

The city's listing describes the evening this way:

"Enjoy a candlelit historic walking tour of the park's 19th century by a local St. Louis investigative team. Gather around a bonfire for some local history trivia, s'mores, and regional autumn beverage tastings."

A few practical details from the listing:

• Ages: 21 and over.
• Cost: $25 for Hazelwood residents, $30 for non-residents.
• Location: Brookes Park, 420 Brookes Drive, Hazelwood, MO 63042.
• Tone: The city promises an evening that "will make your skin crawl."

The listing doesn't say how to register, how many spots are available, or which investigative team is leading the tour. It also describes a walking tour of the park rather than promising access inside the buildings. If going inside the Utz-Teson House or the schoolhouse is the main draw for you, confirm that with Parks and Recreation before you pay.

For anyone planning around mobility, the Historic Saint Louis listing has useful notes. It describes the park, the restrooms and the Little Red School House as accessible, says there are two steps into the Utz-Teson House, and lists the Knobbe House as not accessible. Those notes come from its holiday tour listing, so the setup on a candlelit evening may be different.

Getting inside the rest of the year

The interiors don't have posted regular hours. The City's Brookes Park page lists the historic buildings as a park feature but gives no visiting hours, and the captured Historic Preservation Commission page offered no appointment process.

Access has come through scheduled events instead. Two recent ones:

• The June open house. On Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the City opened all three buildings for tours, displays and community storytelling. Its announcement asked, "Have you ever wondered about the three historic structures at Brookes Park?"
• The December holiday tour. Historic Saint Louis runs A Spirited Holiday Past on the first Saturday in December, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Brookes Park was on its 2025 list of participating sites with free admission. The organization hasn't published a 2026 list yet. If the first-Saturday pattern holds, the 2026 date would be December 5, but neither that date nor Brookes Park's participation is confirmed.

As of today, October 24 is the only Brookes Park history event on the city's posted fall calendar.

The city is collecting other history this fall

The Historic Preservation Commission isn't the only part of city government gathering Hazelwood's past this season. On September 22, the City asked residents, employees and community members to submit photographs of veterans with a connection to Hazelwood. The photos may appear in the City's Veterans Day video, on its website and on social media. Submissions are due Wednesday, November 4, 2026. You can send them through the city's online form or deliver them to City Hall at 415 Elm Grove Lane.

Elm Grove Lane carries the same name as the schoolhouse now sitting in Brookes Park.

The Hazelwood City Council is also recognizing veterans this fall. According to a community notice in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the council plans to honor veterans at a council meeting and to offer them a spot with the mayor and council in the Florissant Veterans Day Parade on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

Two other city events fall in the eight days leading up to the Brookes Park evening:

The Utz-Teson name also turns up on the city map, since the community center and White Birch Park share a Teson Road address. The events at White Birch Park and Brookes Park put people in two places where that name appears.

Daryl Holland is a US Navy veteran and has worked with buyers and sellers across north St. Louis County since 2001. Older houses always interest him, whether they're in a city park or on your street. If you're wondering how your own Hazelwood home's age and history affect its value, Daryl Holland would be glad to talk it through. Schedule a free consultation whenever it suits you.