Maya Angelou's Childhood Home Is Now for Sale

Mar 16, 2017 at 8:13 am
Three beds, three baths and the certain knowledge that genius slept here.

That's what you get in a home just listed on the market yesterday in St. Louis' Gate District: 3130 Hickory. The two-story home housed poet Maya Angelou for the first three years of her life.

Just two years ago, the house was given landmark status by the city, thanks to efforts by its homeowner, who learned of the connection only after making the purchase.

Angelou was born in 1928 and lived in the home until 1930. It was owned by her maternal grandparents, Thomas and Marguerite Baxter. At three, Angelou was sent to Arkansas to live with her paternal grandparents. She returned to St. Louis at eight, and the tragic events that happened next inspired her best-known work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

This house, however, remains untouched by trauma, and the homeowner is asking $159,000. The 1,152-square-foot house boasts an open floor plan, exposed brick walls and a finished lower level. It is "super nice and cute," in the words of its listing.

If you want to know more, or just see the house that sheltered genius, there's an open house this Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. See Estately for more details.


We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at [email protected]