Lorenzo Plaza

The brick plaza with festoon lighting was named after Lorenzo Cottle, the grandson of our founder, Captain Warren Cottle. In 1839, Lorenzo platted the town and deeded the plaza area to serve as public property. Today, it continues to serve as a gathering area for the community at the entrance to the old town historic area.

Cottleville was a bustling hub with eleven places of business and three hotels. In 1846, the town even rivaled St. Charles, leading to a petition to move the County Seat of Justice to Cottleville. While the effort was ultimately unsuccessful due to counter-petitions from St. Charles, the site of Lorenzo’s Plaza remains a permanent public landmark.