Gordon Building
225 S. Ninth
This building was constructed circa 1940. The Campus Snack was run out of half the building and Al's Shoe Hospital occupied the other. "Pop" Givens took over the restaurant in the early 1950's. The Campus Snack was a popular hangout for students at MU's Journalism School and Shakespeare's Pizza, which opened in 1973, has certainly taken over that tradition. A mural on the west side of the building portrays well-known Columbia residents eating pizza--a closer look will reveal Vice President Dick Cheney enjoying a slice as well. Inside are photos from all over the world featuring people wearing Shakespeare's t-shirts. Originally a quick way to cover a hole in the wall, these pictures have become a local Columbia tradition.
Missouri United Methodist Church
204 S. Ninth Street
The church itself was organized in 1815 but construction on this Gothic Revival church did not begin until 1925. It was a joint project by several different Methodist congregations who decided to share the expense of administering to students at the University of Missouri. The original stained glass windows depict scenes from the Old Testament on the north side of the building and those from the New Testament on the south. Inside is an E.M. Skinner pipe organ dating from the 1930's. An eight-second reverberation in the sanctuary only serves to enhance the music. National Register
Missouri Theater
203 S. Ninth Street
Built in 1927, this theater was originally designed to include a high-rise hotel above the theater but concerns were raised by the owners of the Tiger Hotel, then under construction, about Columbia's ability to support two large hotels. An agreement was reached with the Tiger Hotel owners and the Missouri Theater's plans were altered. The building itself has a wide and varied history. In the early years of the theater, there was a separate entrance and seating area for African Americans. Reports of a ghost in the theater are also widespread. Said to be haunted by the former owner, witnesses report instances where clanking noises are heard or the stage curtains rise and fall without prompting. The building is now owned by the Missouri Symphony Society and they are undergoing a restoration of the building. National Register
Calvary Episcopal Church
123 S. Ninth Street
This parish was organized on May 25, 1855. The present stone church, designed in the Gothic style, was dedicated June 6, 1899 and the parish house was added in 1956. The stone addition that fronts Ninth Street was added in 2003 and designed to complement the original stone building. Several windows, the church bell and some interior furnishings from the original 1972 church are still in use.
The Virginia Building
111 S. Ninth Street
The Virginia Building dates from 1911 and in 1928 became home to one of the first urban Montgomery Wards and Co. retail outlets in Missouri. Montgomery Wards moved to a suburban location in 1961, and in 1965 the building underwent drastic remodeling. This approach was common in the late 1960's when many property owners attempted to solve the "downtown problem" by renovating their older buildings to look streamlined and modern. That project included greatly reducing the size of the storefront windows, replacing the large second floor windows with narrow concrete encased window units, and wrapping three exterior walls with ribbed metal siding. Inside, ceilings were dropped to almost half of their original height, and the storefront shop layout was changed to create small spaces with little natural light. In 2001, new owners underwent a substantial renovation of this building, removing the fading metal siding, adding new windows and restoring architectural details such as the metal ceilings inside. The ornate bracketed top cornice, which had been hacked off in order to install the siding, was also restored. National Register
Booche's
110 S. Ninth Street
The original Booche's Billiard Hall was located at 11 S. Ninth and eventually moved to this location in the early 1900's. One of Columbia's oldest continually operating businesses, it was started by Paul "Booche" Venable in the late 1880's. A quick glance at the interior is enough to suggest it hasn't changed much in 120-plus years of operation. Inside is a collection of Mizzou memorabilia from Booche's early years.
The Hall Theater
102 S. Ninth Street
This theater, built by T.C. Hall around 1916, was one of a slew of theaters built in the teens and twenties. The Varsity Theater and the Missouri Theater, also on Ninth Street, were built in this era as well. Although the interior has changed, the exterior remains highly intact.
The Ballenger Building
27 S. Ninth Street
The Ballenger Building was originally constructed by G.F. Troxell for his furniture store in 1890. The building sits on a natural spring (now capped) that lead to the founding of a soda water bottling company in the stone basement in 1877 by Frenchman Rene Butel. Here he bottled soda water, ginger ale, birch beer, champagne cider, and other soft drinks. It operated through the early 1900's. Troxell's itself closed in 1926. The building recently underwent substantial renovations to restore it to its original condition. National Register
Novus Shop
22 S. Ninth Street
This shop, built around 1895, has one of the finest Art Deco facades in town. The sunrise and floriated patterns of the upper level are terra cotta. Inside is a not-to-miss new and used bookstore. In 1968, workmen remodeling the store discovered a box from the Blue Ridge Hosiery Company that had apparently fallen behind a radiator. The box once held black silk stockings and was stamped with a National Recovery Act sticker. The N.R.A. was a New Deal program created to help businesses during the Depression. On the sticker was a blue eagle and the N.R.A. motto, "We Do Our Part.""
Dry Goods Store
820 E. Broadway
Originally built in the mid-1800's, this is the oldest commercial building in Columbia. It first housed a dry good store, Strawn, Bouchelle & Co., and later evolved into Neate's Dry Goods, housed in this building as well as its neighbor to the west. It was spared in the fire of 1886 which destroyed much of the block to the east. It is possible that this building dates back to the Civil War. A Missourian article from 1957 references an interview with a long-time Columbia resident about this building. The man pointed out scorches on the bricks which were reportedly made when a band of guerrillas rode into town and entered into a small battle with Union soldiers then quartered at the University of Missouri.
Hays Hardware Building
812 E. Broadway.
Like its neighbors, this building was constructed prior to 1883. It housed varied businesses, a bookstore, a billiards hall, and a piano store before it became a hardware store. Over the years it resisted changes, retaining its worn wooden floor, metal ceiling, potbellied stove, interior brick walls and exposed freight elevator well into the middle of the twentieth century. Some of these elements are still visible today.
Metropolitan Building
808 E. Broadway
This is another example of Columbia's pre-1883 buildings. Fine polychromatic terra cotta was added during remodeling in the early 1930's. National Register
Matthews Building
804 E. Broadway
Built prior to 1883, this building originally served as the showroom for hardware dealer Charles Matthews. Around 1895, a tin shop was added in the basement. The building's extensive remodeling has added to its charm. Art glass on the upper level is a recent improvement. National Register
Miller Building
800 E. Broadway
When constructed in 1910, this building was considered one of Columbia's finest examples of commercial architecture. The terra cotta exterior on the second level is original. Once the location of the Miller Shoe Store, it was known for having what was known as a "shoe-fitting fluoroscope." The machine was simply an x-ray machine enclosed in a wooden cabinet. Customers would insert their foot and the machine would not only size their feet but show them a greenish-yellow x-ray image of their foot. More a sales gimmick than a sizing technique, the fluoroscopes were eventually phased out when concerns about radiation damage arose. Some states banned their use in the late 1950's and by the 1960's, shoes stores like Miller's went back to using old-fashioned--but reliable--measuring sticks. National Register
Please cross Broadway at this point.
Tucker's Jewelry
823 E. Broadway
The circa 1880's building is one of the most accurate restorations in the downtown district. The building originally housed the Miller Boot and Shoe Store, followed by Knight's Drug Store and then Prange's. In 1994, the exterior of building was rehabilitated according to historic standards. The current owners have also undergone extensive interior renovation. Of note are the 10 foot tall windows and the original tin ceiling. The second story is a private apartment, recalling the time when shopkeepers lived over their stores. This building received the Missouri Main Street Program Award for excellence in downtown revitalization. National Register
Victor Barth Building
827 E. Broadway
This building has housed clothiers since its construction in 1909. The original business was opened in 1856 by Moses Barth, who immigrated from Prussia in 1847. He began as a traveling peddler in Pennsylvania before moving to the Columbia area. After an unsuccessful attempt at gold mining in California, Moses returned to Missouri and opened a store in Rocheport. Success lead the family to open several stores throughout Missouri. When the Civil War nearly destroyed the town of Rocheport, the original business failed. However, the Columbia location, owned by nephews Joseph an Victor, prospered and the existing building was constructed in 1909 to handle the expanding needs of the business. The current business is run by another family but the brothers remain true to the strong traditions set by the Barth family. The building itself just underwent substantial renovation, including the removal of a concrete canopy and the restoration of the facade.
Boone National Savings and Loan
827 E. Broadway
This site on the corner of Ninth and Broadway is one of the most important locations in Columbia's history. This was the 1833 site of Richard Gentry's tavern where Anne Hawkins Gentry, one of the nation's first female postmasters, conducted business before relocating to Seventh and Broadway. Stagecoaches ran from St. Louis, making their final dash into Columbia at this intersection. In 1877, a theater hall was built on the site, later becoming the Haden Opera House. Although the theater attracted talent from across the country, the owners maintained a policy of never charging more than $1 for a show. By the 1900's, this location had become a grocery and a drug store. The current Beaux Arts building was built in 1921 as a bank. The Haden Building cornerstone can still be seen on the front.
Stephens Publishing Building
1020 E. Broadway
E.W. Stephens, chairman of the commission in charge of constructing the State Capitol, erected this building in 1892 as a location to publish the weekly newspaper the Columbia Herald (also known as the Herald Statesman.) Although the paper was disbanded in the 1930's, the published company remained open until 1957. Several businesses followed, including Lucille's Yarns and Fabric in the 60's and 70's. It was around this time that the original clock tower was torn down. Of special interest are the outdoor brick patio, the antique ceiling fans and the radiating sun frieze on the pediment.
From here, double back to Ninth Street.
Next stop: North Village
