NUMBER OF EVENTS SCHEDULED IN HONOR OF NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION WEEK

Cape Girardeau is celebrating National Historic Preservation Week with a number of events that focus on the city's architectural heritage.

"Every town has something special and unique about it, and that's one of the things we want to show off and highlight," said John Bry, a local preservationist who helped plan the events.

Preservation week opened Friday with the "Create a Landmark and Essay Contest.

A walking tour of Old Lorimier Cemetery will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday. Visitors can learn about the symbols and styles of tombstones, as well as chat with a few of the city's early citizens as costumed re-enactors portray some of Old Lorimier's "permanent residents."

Beginning at 6 p.m. Tuesday, a walking tour of Cape's Broadway business district will be held. The tour will start at the Southeast Missourian building on the corner of Lorimier and Broadway, and conclude at the former "Last Chance Saloon" at Broadway and Pacific streets.

Karen Grace of the Missouri Historic Preservation office will speak about the National Register of Historic Places at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The event will be held in Room 300 of the art building on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Participants are urged to bring photographs of places they are interested in nominating.

At 7:30 p.m. in the same room, local architect Fred Dormeyer will offer advice on hiring a contractor for preservation projects.

"Dinner Under the Dome" will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday. Guests will be served dinner on the main floor of Academic Hall. The dinner includes tours of the 88-year-old structure, and old photographs of Academic Hall and the building's original blueprints will be displayed.

Participants will be able to view the inside of the dome from a wooden platform constructed over the attic floor.

Admission is $15 for the dinner and tour. Tickets are available by contacting the Center for Regional History at (314) 651-2555.

At 5:30 p.m. Friday, a tour of the College Hill area is slated. The neighborhood features several architectural styles and was home to many prominent families. The tour will begin at Broadway and Ellis and end at the Johnson Faculty Centre at 530 N. Pacific. For more information, call 651-0570.

A progressive dinner tour will be held Saturday. Tickets are $25 per person. Registration, which is limited to 40 people, can be made by contacting Mary Russell at 335-1594 or the Glenn House at 334-1177.

The local observance is sponsored by the Alliance for Historic Preservation, the Center for Regional History, the Historic Preservation Association at the university, the Cape Girardeau Historic Preservation Commission, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau.