Historic Hanley House

Built in 1855 by Martin Franklin Henley, the Historic Hanley House is the oldest building in the City of Clayton and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The house once stood on just over 100 acres of farmland. In 1876, Martin F. Hanley and his wife, Cyrene, joined with their neighbor, Ralph Clayton, to donate 104 acres of land to help establish Clayton as the County Seat. Hanley was not just a farmer but also served as Justice of the Peace and operated a market, tavern, wood shop and blacksmith shop. He made plows and farming implements for many familiar St. Louis families, including the Claytons, Sappingtons, Bissels, Papins and Chouteaus. Hanley and his wife had 11 children, 10 of whom survived to adulthood. The family worked together to make the farm a success: the women made butter and sewed hickory shirts to be sold at the market, the men worked in the fields, and the young children gathered eggs in the barnyard. In 1968, the City of Clayton purchased the Hanley House from family descendants and began a 3 year restoration before opening it as a museum. Today, the house retains much of the family's original furnishings, family letters and artifacts that reflect day-to-day life in 19th century Missouri. The main house and the summer kitchen, which also served as the slave quarter on the property, survive in their original location. During restoration, archaeological evidence guided the reconstruction of the barnyard fence, well house and outhouse on their original foundations.

Clayton, Missouri · United States