Cape Girardeau County History Center soon will open in Jackson

Carla Jordan is looking forward to the March opening of the Cape Girardeau County History Center.

The center will be at 102 S. High St. in Jackson, in the former location of The Andrew Jackson Bridal Co., which moved to Cape Girardeau in August.

Jordan, a preservationist who also works with the Lutheran Heritage Center and Museum in Altenburg, Missouri, has been working with the Cape Girardeau Historical Society to help develop the location and get the ball rolling on its operations.

"I've lived here for 17 years, but I've always worked in Kansas, Oklahoma and Altenburg. So it's exciting for me to be able to have some relationships with the people where I live. It's very exciting."

She said McQuade Enterprises LLC, which owns the building and is leasing it to the historical society, has been restoring the location to its original 1940s look with exposed brick walls and pilasters on the facade.

After months of planning and renovations, Jordan will be able to move in to the 2,000-square-foot space Feb. 1, and the history center is set to open March 15. Planned business hours will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day, with free admission.

Jordan said she is happy to add the history center to a small list of locations in the region that serve the same purpose, because it could help draw more tourism to Southeast Missouri.

"I think the people will stop for more dots on the map," Jordan said. "I think they'll leave [Interstate] 55 for several things sooner than they will for one thing."

Jordan is ordering furniture for the history center's entryway and is excited to get into the building to begin work on the interior.

The center will have seating toward the entrance that will give people access to regional history books and allow them to speak to staff.

Six 6-foot cases will be farther back in the history center and will highlight historical themes from area schools, churches, businesses and exhibits for local organizations. The exhibits will be rotated regularly.

The center also will feature larger exhibits every 60 to 90 days. The first exhibit is titled "Spring into History," featuring award-winning quilter Lynn Taylor's floral quilt collection, until June 1. From June 5 to Aug. 15, the center will display "Hardware & Tool History in Cape Girardeau County," with other exhibits related to the seasons.

Jordan said there also will be featured window exhibits that will rotate four times a year according to the season. For the first exhibit, windows will include paper art flowers, historic scans and garden architectural pieces until June 1.

Another weekly feature Jordan is trying to organize will be called "Coffee with Carla" on Thursdays so anyone can come in to the center and ask questions, find out what the center may be looking for and see what plans Jordan may have for the future.

Jordan said she is trying to map out a loop for bus tours so people can visit a number of historic locations in Southeast Missouri, including Jackson's historic Oliver House, sites in Perry County and Trail of Tears State Park.

As Jordan put it, the tours will be "a nice history trail" through Perry and Cape Girardeau counties.

Jordan said the Cape Girardeau Historical Society typically meets at Delmonico's in Jackson, but the new history center will be a more suitable setting. With a meeting room and a possible media area, Jordan hopes to make the center an "urban history center."

"I want this to be the gem of Jackson. I want this to be a place where everybody can come and see what's going on in the region as far as cultural tourism goes," she said.

Jordan said the society will have its next meeting at 5 p.m. Jan. 30 at Delmonico's. Sneak-peek tours of the history center will be at 4 p.m. that day, with tours possibly after the dinner meeting as well.

Pertinent address:

102 S. High St., Jackson, Missouri