Ex-synagogue, tavern seek spots in history

Nominations are pending to place two more properties in Cape Girardeau -- a tavern and a former synagogue -- and the Scott County Courthouse in Benton, Mo., on the National Register of Historic Places.

The state Advisory Council on Historic Preservation already has recommended all three for the National Register. The National Park Service, which oversees the register, has not yet given its approval to the buildings but rarely denies a state recommendation.

Owned by John Boos, the nearly 100-year-old tavern building on the southwest corner of Frederick and Independence streets in Cape Girardeau houses Mac's Tavern on the ground floor. Boos and his family live upstairs.

The tavern nomination, made by Southeast Missouri State University Historic Preservation Program students Debbie Bibb and Cathy Grove, was based on the building's commercial and social history. The ground floor of the building housed a brewery initially, and at least part of it has always been a pub, Bibb said. Part of the building was home to a brothel during the early part of the 19th century.

"That was part of its social history," she said.

In early December, the advisory council in Jefferson City, Mo., heard presentations on the former synagogue at 126 S. Main St. in Cape Girardeau and the Scott County Courthouse in Benton, Mo. The nominations have been forwarded to the National Park Service, which has two to three months to review them.

Dr. Bonnie Stepenoff, a historic preservation professor at Southeast who also is on the state advisory board, made the synagogue presentation to the board today in Jefferson City. She abstained from voting.

The former synagogue, built in 1936, is owned by Jerrianne and John Wyman, who own and manage a number of properties in Cape Girardeau and the Royal N'Orleans restaurant.

Properties on the National Register become eligible for both state and federal tax credits. To qualify for federal tax credits the building must be income producing.

John Wyman said the designation would be the first step toward restoring and leasing the building, which the Wymans acquired from Martin Hecht.

"We're trying to find somebody that's a good fit for that property," he said. "It needs to be a public-oriented type of venue. We want to keep a portion of it open for tourism or as an archive of religious history."

One of the Wymans' properties, the H&H Building at the northwest corner of Fountain Street and Broadway in Cape Girardeau, was formally accepted for inclusion on the National Register in September.

John Wyman said they are beginning to research the possibility of placing two more of their buildings -- the former Doyle Hat Shop at the northeast corner of Spanish and Themis streets and the Royal N'Orleans building on the northwest corner of Broadway and Lorimier Street -- on the register.

The H&H Building became the 15th individual property in Cape Girardeau to be placed on the National Register. Students in the Historic Preservation Program at Southeast have been responsible for writing the nominations for seven of those properties. Melinda Winchester, a student in the program, wrote the nominations for both the H&H Building and for the synagogue.

She doesn't think the synagogue, which has Spanish Colonial architecture with Islamic influences, will have difficulty getting approved.

Some members of the advisory board were concerned about an elaborate cornice line that was original to the five-story building but disappeared through the years.

Instead of basing the nomination on the 1907 building's architectural significance, Winchester emphasized its importance to the region's commercial history. The vote to recommend the building for the National Register was unanimous.

Elevator grant

Work on putting the Scott County Courthouse on the National Register began in 2001, when the county applied for a federal grant to install an elevator. In order to receive the federal grant, the county was required to apply for National Register status for the property.

Dr. John Keneig, a retired physician living in Sikeston, Mo., has been handling the application on behalf of the Scott County Historical Society.

The building, the fifth courthouse on the site, was constructed in 1912.

"We're real proud of courthouse and the way it looks," said Commissioner Jamie Burger. The county recently has upgraded all the wiring on the second floor and is getting rid of its window air conditioning units, intending to install central air conditioning.

sblackwell@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182