Fifth and Main Historic District
Fifth and Main Historic District | |
Location | 501-505 S. Main Street; 507-513 S. Main Street; 502-506 S. Virginia Ave. Joplin, Missouri |
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Coordinates | 37°5′15″N 94°30′58″W / 37.08750°N 94.51611°W |
Area | about one acre |
Built | 1903-1920 |
Architect | August and Alfred Michaelis; Alfred W. Rea |
Architectural style | Chicago Style |
NRHP reference No. | 06000541[1] |
Added to NRHP | July 5, 2006 |
The Fifth and Main Historic District is a collection of adjoining structures and national
Christman Building
The Christman Building at 501-505 South Main Street is the most prominent building of the Fifth and Main Historic District. It stands five stories, not including the mezzanine level, and dominates the corner of Fifth and Main streets, with elevations and entrances facing both streets. It has brick walls, a concrete foundation and a flat roof. It has brown brick and light terra cotta on the main elevations, and red brick on secondary wall surfaces. The main retail space near the front doors features a large room that is two stories tall, with mezzanine spaces at the front and back that are linked by a narrow balcony along the north wall. The room features two rows of monumental square columns that are topped with egg and dart molding, and adorned with large shield-shaped medallions that feature the letter "C" for Christman. That room takes up almost all of the ground floor; the rest of the space contains an elevator lobby and formal staircase for access to the upper floors.[2] It was built in 1917 to house the Christman Dry Goods Company, which had occupied a previous three-story building on that site.[3]
The building was designed by August and Alfred Michaelis and is an example of the
Christman Building Annex
The Christman Building Annex, which is attached to the back of the Christman Building and sits on the southeast corner of Virginia Avenue and Fifth Street, is actually two separate sections. The north section of the annex was built in 1903 and designed by the architect Alfred W. Rea of the Garstang & Rea firm as an addition to the previous Christman Dry Goods Company structure, while the south section was built in 1920, after the 1917 Christman Building had been completed. Together, they measure roughly 100 feet wide and 120 feet deep. The northern section of the building, which originally served as a warehouse for Christman's, is slightly narrower than the southern section.[2] The history of the use of the annex parallels that of the main Christman Building and has been largely restored.
Paramount Building
Originally built as the lobby and retail frontage for the Electric Theater in 1912, the Paramount Building at 507-513 South Main Street is a two-story commercial block that has brown brick walls, a concrete foundation and a flat roof. In 1966 and 1967 flat metal sheathing was applied to the front facing upper story to give it a more modern look,[11] but this has since been removed and the front of the structure has been restored to a more original appearance.[2] Originally a large theater auditorium that could seat more than 1,500 was attached to the back of the existing building, but it was demolished in November and December 1965[12] and the theater lobby was reassigned as a retail space. Prior to the introduction of sound films in the late 1920s, the theater showed silent films and hosted vaudeville acts.[13] In 1930 the theater changed its name from the Electric Theater to the Paramount and ended all silent films and vaudeville acts. In 1926 Wurlitzer Opus organ #1443 was installed in what was then the Electric Theater, but it was later removed and sold.[14]
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Debbie Sheals and Becky Snider (January 2006). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Fifth and Main Historic District" (PDF). Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved January 1, 2017. (includes 14 photographs from 2005-2006) and Site map
- ^ Joplin Globe; Christman's Special Section; Fifty Years Expansion Noted in Successive Building Changes; September 13, 1939; Page B1
- ^ Joplin Globe; Old meets new in restored Christman’s building; April 30, 2011
- ^ Joplin Globe; Christman's Special Section; Christman^s Golden Jubilee Commemorates Life Work of Five Men Who Built Business From Start; September 13, 1939; Page B9
- ^ Joplin Globe; Macy's to Close Store Here in Spring of 1976; April 12, 1975; Page 3B
- ^ Joplin Globe; Chapter of City History Ends with Macy's Closing; January 9, 1976; Page 4A
- ^ Joplin Globe; Christman's Store to Reopen Today; October 7, 1976, Page A1
- ^ Joplin Business Journal; Howsman's celebrates 45 years in business; 2008; http://www.joplinbusinessjournal.com/ME2/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=A7AF39508DE94D12AD64C92BAACD91E1
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on July 27, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2013.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Joplin News Herald; Major downtown rehabilitation project set; moves involved; August 12, 1966; Page 1A
- ^ Joplin News Herald; Downtown Landmark Being Razed; November 20, 1965; Page 1A
- ^ Joplin Globe; Projectionist's Career Spans History of "Talkies" in Joplin; August 25, 1968; Page 11C
- ^ "WurliTzer Opus 1443".