The Southeast Missourian Tower rose between 70 and 80 feet from ground level. It could be seen from as far away as McClure, Ill. Designed by Tom P. Barnett, the architect of the Southeast Missourian building, the tower was completed in 1925. Barnett had originally designed a different smokestack for the Missourian building, but once construction started, he decided to do away with his design. Barnett made a trip to Spain and upon his return had a design for the tower that would be built. It was to the south of the building in a landscaped garden that complemented the tower. The base of the tower was brick, with the middle constructed of Portland cement with two stringcourses of brick. A tiered section was adorned with Spanish and Tunisian yellow, blue, greenish-gray and red glazed tiles. Above the tiles, at the top of the tower, the crown was finished out with a copper dome. In 1944, the tower was struck by lightning, resulting in a crack that ran down the structure. The following year, the crown of the tower had to be removed because it was pushing smoke downward and the tiles showed discoloration. It was replaced with a smaller, rounded tile cap that allowed the smoke to flow into the air. Once known as the "Phoenix of Cape Girardeau," the tower was razed in October 1978. The Missourian building had installed a new boiler system, making the tower obsolete. It also showed signs of structural weakness.