Broadway commercial district earns National Register of Historic Places designation

A three-block section of Broadway in Cape Girardeau has been added to the National Register of Historic Places.

The Broadway Commercial Historic District includes 48 sites between Frederick and Pacific streets in the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of Broadway and 210 N. Ellis St.

The commercial neighborhood has 35 buildings and one parking lot that have contributed to the "character, significance and historic integrity" of the area, according to the nominating application.

The commercial district was named to the National Register last month. Cape Girardeau Mayor Harry Rediger said Wednesday such architecture "means so much to our community."

Cape Girardeau's recent Heritage Days celebration, which drew crowds to museums and other historic attractions, is proof of the importance of history to the community, he said.

The 600 block of the Broadway Commercial Historic District is seen Wednesday in Cape Girardeau.Fred Lynch

Southeast Missouri State University history professor Steven Hoffman and some of his historic-preservation students worked on the application.

Hoffman said the district reflects westward expansion of the downtown commercial district, showcased by its commercial architecture from the 1860s extending through the 1960s.

"Most of the buildings within this district are two-part, commercial block buildings consisting of two or three stories with a storefront on the first floor and residential space above," according to the application.

Many of the structures house businesses today. Others are vacant.

A number of the buildings have decorative brickwork and large, glass display windows. Some have a Spanish design, with ceramic-tile roofs and arcaded entryways.

Vacant structures that once housed the Broadway Theatre and the Esquire Theater, already listed on the National Register individually, are included in the historic district.

Hoffman said the district reflects the influence of the automobile and the need for parking.

"You see evidence of catering to the automobile," he said.

In 1914, a 75-car garage was built in the 700 block of Broadway, followed by a 50-car garage five years later at 815 Broadway. When the Kroger Super Market was built at 724 Broadway in 1948, a parking lot was created along Broadway and the store promoted "free parking" in its grand-opening ad.

A walk-up restaurant at 600 Broadway is housed in a 1960s-era building that originally was a service station.

One red-brick structure in the 700 block of Broadway was built in 1913 or 1914 as a garage and later housed an auto company.

Drugstores, doctors' offices and a hospital also played a role in the success of the commercial area, according to the application.

Finney's Drugstore, built in 1906 at 709 Broadway, was a well-known business in the neighborhood. So too was the Phil C. Haman Drugstore at 609 Broadway. It was built in 1927 on the site of one of Cape Girardeau's first drugstores.

A two-story, brick house at 605 Broadway once was a hospital. The Schulz Surgical Hospital, which operated in the 1920s, included 15 beds and was equipped with an operating room and a dispensary.

The neighborhood also housed specialty shops such as a millinery boutique at 715 Broadway that provided customized hats to match any outfit, according to the National Register application.

In the same block, Jones Confectionary and Restaurant served hamburgers, fresh roasted peanuts and root beer from 1928 until 1954.

"Visitors to the area fondly remember peanut shells on the floor and Jones' old popcorn machine," the application states.

Hoffman said the National Register program helps encourage preservation of a community's architectural heritage. He said it can offer "a sense of stewardship" for current owners of historic structures.

Property owners who renovate such structures can benefit from state and federal tax credits on renovation projects, Hoffman said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3641

Pertinent address:

600, 700, 800 blocks of Broadway, 210 N. Ellis St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.