I've mentioned the Arts Center in several posts, so I decided it was fitting to post the journey of research and the evolving history of the building.
In talking with Dr. Cole Woodcox, Chair of Lang. & Lit. at Truman State, and historic architecture guru, we knew it was an old building built by Valentine Miller, and had narrowed its construction to between 1906 and 1914 with Sanborn Fire Maps. A look at the City Directories further narrowed that to around 1910 or 1911. In scouring the local newspapers, I found ads for businesses in the building, but nothing on its construction.
Images from Sanborn Fire Maps. Left: 1906. Right: 1914.
The area in question is in the lower left quadrant of each.
A building that size -- three stories -- not related to government, medicine, religion, or education would be news. Having perused the microfilm of the Springville New Era while in high school, I was certain such construction would be reported on.
So, I started to work backwards. The Kirksville Journal was a weekly paper, thus easier to search through. I would (hopefully) be able to put together a time line that could be expanded upon when going through the daily paper. (Hopefully.)
One of the first images collected in our search. This postcard came
from Special Collections at Pickler Memorial Library, Truman State University.
There were a few ads of businesses having moving sales before heading over to their new location in the Miller building. But nothing more on construction until October 7, when a man was injured unloading plate glass windows. November 4 reported the Ladies of the Cemetery Association held a Halloween party there.
I finished out the year before moving to the Daily Express. This is where I found the purchase price of the lumber yards (about $50,000), and how fast the building went up. The February 5, 1909 issue reported clearing of the site of the former lumber yard would begin soon. Excavation of the site was still going on as of May 5. The Owl Drug Store was the first to open, towards the end of October. Jeweler Charles Sands was next, followed by Kerns & Lorton, a meat market and grocery.
Huzzah! The building was built in 1909! Having solved that part of the mystery was a relief. Plus, another piece of the downtown puzzle was officially put into place. Dr. Woodcox has spent the past several years dating each structure (existing and past) to create a time line for Downtown Kirksville. The North Side has already been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Back to our story ...
In looking at the first image, you'll see white enameled or glazed brick on the first floor. This was the new construction. The unshaded portion -- as seen below -- was built 10 years earlier.
In another interesting note, the City Directories listed the Northeast Missouri Loan and Abstract Company as having offices at 115-1/2-117-1/2 South Franklin. That would be this section:
There is no evidence of a connecting doorway on the 117 side. There may be on the 115 side; that theory has yet to be explored.
A postcard from 1910. To the left of center, partially hidden
by the tree is the Miller Building, the future Kirksville Arts Center.
After 1911, I hit 1922, 1933, 1944, etc. until the present time. Robb's Cue Room co-sponsored the weekly listing of church services in January 1955, and a used furniture store had made its way into the Owl Drug location. 1966 saw Baldwin's Biz Mart, an office supply store, and the beginning of the building's greatest changes.
The Miller Block in the early 1960s. The transom windows and stairwell
are now boarded up. While hardly energy efficient, these old storefronts are amazing.
At the far left, you can see an earlier location for Baldwin's.
In the 1980's Baldwin's moved out, and Old Towne Clothing moved in. They lasted until around 2002. An interior design store followed, and in 2005, the Kirksville Arts Association purchased the building with plans to transform it into one of Northeast Missouri's premier arts facilities.
Two views of the gallery, and due to inclement weather, the crowd
gathers in the Arts Center for a Summer on the Square concert.
As designs were formulated, a small gallery was set up, and in February 2006, the inspiring musical Godspell performed to sell-out crowds.
A few months later, during auditions for a show, a couple of us started picking at the boxes concealing the support columns. Ok, it was mainly me, but I did have help. Then on Memorial Day weekend, a 30 yard dumpster was parked on the south side of the building. After learning it was for a nearby apartment slated for remodeling, we asked if we could use it. Sure. There was a quick call for volunteers, and then we got to work.
The wall gondolas were the first to go. (They're the shelving you see in convenience and grocery stores.) Then came the paneling. You cannot believe how much those two steps opened up the room. The timing of this was very fortuitous as KAA's Annual Membership Meeting was fast approaching. "Under Construction" became the theme and all board members wore hard hats.
Second row: exposing the windows.
Third row: framing out the bathrooms and warming kitchen; custom sink.
Bottom row: original beam; what's left of original dividing wall on first floor.
The following months involved creating two foyers, exposing windows on the south side, framing out and drywalling the main space, new HVAC, and painting, lots and lots of painting. The deadline for this work was February 2007, in time for my production of The Lion in Winter. The new restrooms were barely under way, but there already was one on the main floor and one on the mezzanine.
By the next Annual Meeting, the bathrooms and warming kitchen were finished, and the east wall (towards the back of the building), which was paneling and simply painted over, was replaced with drywall in January 2008, thus finally completing the main space. A small room at the very back of the building, used mainly as a dressing room for performances, folding table and chair storage otherwise, was finished out as a classroom, complete with an eight foot chalkboard we found upstairs.
While finishing up the inside, the outside needed something to draw people in. Those upgrades are detailed here.
One of the bigger upgrades under discussion is redoing the front even more. This would replace the plate glass windows with the reverse bay windows storefronts of old used to have. But instead of more plate glass, it would brick with display windows at eye level to showcase pieces of art and a marquee to announce upcoming events. This would totally close off the front of the building to the setting sun (it gets really obnoxious). However, some natural light would allowed in if the transom windows are replaced. While not a true renovation, it is an homage to the building's roots. Below is a rough sketch I did.
This post will be updated as new information and images are gathered.
OH, AND BY THE WAY ...
While researching, one of the strange but true stories I came across was the murder of a local professor. Apparently, his wife and her lover conspired to do away with him. His body was exhumed twice, and many of the city fathers were called as witnesses. I should say alleged murder as I did not continue into 1912 to learn the verdict. If I remember correctly, her bail was set at $25,000. Please recall that I said the lumber yard was sold for $50,000. (And those were 1910 dollars.)
Related links: Third Floor of the Kirksville Arts Center, You can always go ... Downtown ..., Pickler's Famous, Kirksville, MO
No comments:
Post a Comment