Howard Building
600 E. Broadway
This building has changed little since its construction in 1932. Designed by architect E.J. Eckel and built in 1932, the elegant facade with its red brick and attached one-half columns in white cut stone is a classic example of a Depression-era civic construction project.
The Gentry Building
1 S. Seventh Street
The Gentry Building was constructed in 1905 as Columbia's post office and is named for Ann Hawkins Gentry, Columbia's Postmistress from 1838 to 1865 and only the second Postmistress in the United States. This building also once housed the city's library. A replica of the Statue of Liberty, given to the city by the Boy Scouts of America, is displayed in a small garden on the Broadway side of the building. The Gentry Building now houses Columbia Parks and Recreation and the wonderful gardens surrounding the building are their work. National Register
Daniel Boone Tavern
701 E. Broadway
In 1916 citizens of Columbia, seeing a need for a large hotel in the city, raised $20,000 as seed money for the construction of this building. The interior was designed in "pioneer style," better known to day as the Arts and Crafts style. The hotel featured exposed beam ceilings, large fireplaces, fumed oak furniture, a Gothic ballroom, and memorabilia reflecting the life of local icon Daniel Boone. A telephone system, unique for its time, connected every room with both the front desk and the magazine and newspaper stand on the ground floor. Most notable was the painting of Daniel Boone by Columbia artist George Caleb Bingham. Removed from the St. Louis Art Galley because it had gone "practically unnoticed," it was hung in a place of honor in the lobby. Today, a copy of the painting hangs in its place. One of Bingham's studios was located just east of Boone Tavern on Guitar Street. A member of the Whig party, Bingham became involved in local politics. In 1862 he was elected Missouri State Treasurer and in 1865, Adjutant General. Later, Bingham served as the first chair of the University of Missouri Art Department.
This was also the site where baseball great Branch Rickey collapsed in November 1965 while giving an acceptance speech for his induction into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. Rickey was best known as the manager who broke baseball's color barrier by hiring Jackie Robinson as the second baseman for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was also originator of baseball's farm system. Rickey later passed away at Boone County Memorial Hospital. The building itself was purchased by the City of Columbia and is the current City Hall. The lobby was redesigned to reflect the original pioneer feel of the hotel and the city is currently looking at a historically-sensitive expansion of the building.
Old City Hall Building
101 N. Seventh Street
This very intact building was constructed between 1902 and 1908 by J.M. Batterton, a prominent Columbia who also owned a stable across the street. He was once mayor and had close ties with Columbia's city government, possibly explaining why the city rented this building from 1902 until 1932, when city hall was moved to Broadway. Interestingly, it took a long battle to finally construct a new city-owned building--a battle eventually decided by the Missouri Supreme Court in 1931. In addition to the city government, this Seventh Street building also housed the police department and fire department. The former's jail, or "calaboose" as it was known, was located in the northwest corner of the building.
Boone County Courthouse
Walnut, between Seventh and Eighth Streets
Columbia was designated the county seat on August 6, 1821. However, because the courthouse had not yet been constructed,the courts met outdoors in warmer weather and then moved indoors to private homes for winter. The first courthouse, a two-story brick building measuring only 50 by 40 feet, was built in 1824 and was located just east of the present building. After only 20 years, the building was deemed unfit. In 1845, William Jewell was appointed commissioner and charged with the construction of a new courthouse. Originally budgeted at $10,000, the construction was completed in 1847 at a cost of $17,165. The building was sited so that its columns would align with the columns of the University of Missouri's Academic Hall at the other end of Eighth Street, explaining its unusual placement in the middle of Eighth Street. George Caleb Bingham once had a studio in this building as well and both versions of his 1855 painting Verdict of the People featured this courthouse. Only the columns remain from this building.
The present courthouse was built in 1909 by J.A. McCarter and designed by John H. Felt after the courts interviewed 22 different architects for the job. The final courthouse was relocated off the square, behind the columns. Inside are murals by local artist Sidney Larson, protègè of Thomas Hart Benton.
Next stop: Avenue of the Columns
