Cape nominates new downtown historic district

Cape Girardeau has proposed creating a new historic district along Broadway and Middle Street to be added to the National Registry of Historic Places. Preservationists also propose adding a building to an already existing historic district on Main Street.

A recommendation on the proposals will come from the state Historic Preservation Council when it meets May 11 in Joplin, Mo. The decision will then be taken up by the National Park Service for the final ruling.

A listing on the National Register brings benefits including consideration for federal assistance and tax credits, proponents say. "It's really good for property value and resale, and it encourages the update and historical integrity of a structure," said historic preservation consultant Terri Foley.

In recent years inclusion on the register has helped pay restoration costs of buildings like the Marquette Tower at 338 Broadway and the Southeast Missourian at 301 Broadway.

Cape Girardeau currently has four historic districts: the Cape Girardeau Downtown Historic District in the 100 block of North Main Street and the 100 block of Broadway; the Haarig Commercial District in the 600 block of Good Hope Street and the 300 block of South Sprigg Street; the Broadway and North Fountain Street Historic District at 320, 324, 338 and 400 Broadway and 221 N. Fountain St.; and the Warehouse Row Historic District at 19 N. Water St.

The newly proposed district would be called the Broadway-Middle Commercial Historic District. It encompasses 15 commercial historic buildings constructed between 1868 and 1955. The district, historians say, reflects Cape Girardeau's shift from river commerce to railroad transport.

"The core rationale for why this district is important is it represents the westward movement of commerce in Cape Girardeau. As Cape Girardeau began to expand economically in the 20th century, one of the key physical signs of that expansion was movement away from river," said Dr. Steven Hoffman, coordinator of the Historic Preservation Program at Southeast Missouri State University.

One building that symbolizes this transfer is Shivelbine's Music at 533 Broadway. It first opened in 1875 as a saloon serving ale to the mostly residential neighborhood. In 1906, as commerce moved up Broadway, owner Al Brinkopf transformed the building into a furniture dealership. In 1969, as heavy industry left the area, the Shivelbine family bought the building and still owns it today.

"The westward projection of businesses actually is kind of the story of the 20th century," Hoffman said. In spring 2006, Hoffman's historic preservation students began researching and cataloging buildings in the proposed district. Hoffman and Foley used their research to compose the final proposal.

Hoffman said the district is both well-preserved and historically significant, the two criteria used by the council when deciding on inclusion.

"This opens up the opportunity for people like Shivelbine's to get tax credits to do the right thing with the building and restore it," Hoffman said. "Also, in terms of heritage tourism, now you can walk up Broadway and see examples of early 20th century architecture that's actually very significant in our history," Hoffman said.

Foley pointed to architectural styles of Greek Revival, Italianate and German vernacular in the district.

The other part of the proposal is the addition of the three-story Sturdivant Bank Building at the northwest corner of Main and Themis streets to an already-existing district.

Built in 1892 by renowned St. Louis architect J.B. Legg, the bank kept operating at the location until 1930. During its operation it was the oldest bank in Southeast Missouri.

The structure was left out of the Main Street district created in 2000, Hoffman and Foley said, because of concerns about whether some of its features were original. Extensive research has proven the brickwork, window locations and red sandstone on its arches are all original.

At the meeting in Joplin the council will consider 19 nominations including 245 buildings from around the state.

tgreaney@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 245