DOWNTOWN STEEPED IN HISTORY, UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE

The Port Cape Girardeau building, 19 N. Water, was reportedly used by Gen. U.S. Grant during the Civil War.

Visitors to Cape Girardeau's annual Riverfest celebration Friday and Saturday will find themselves surrounded by~ history.

Downtown Cape Girardeau features stately homes and buildings steeped in the stories from the beginnings of the community.

Riverfest organizers planned this year's celebration around the city's Bicentennial, with special events planned that highlight Cape Girardeau's past.

But, a walk downtown can provide a brief history lesson.

John Boardman, local architect and amateur historian, said the face of downtown Cape Girardeau has changed over the years.

The number of changes came after World War II when several buildings were razed to make room for new commercial structures.

But soon after, he said, people began to be concerned about historic preservation.

"A lot of things are missing from downtown," said Boardman, citing the Old St. Charles Hotel as an example.

Old St. Vincent Church

Among historic structures making up the downtown picture is Old St. Vincent Church, situated at Main and William streets.

The church had its beginnings in 1833 when mass was first celebrated in a temporary location, an old warehouse near the riverfront, on the site of Old St. Vincent Church.

Because it was the first established church, many Protestants attended as well as Catholics. The first permanent structure was built in 1838, but was leveled by a tornado in 1850.

The current church was constructed in 1853, using the same native stone foundation of the earlier church building.

The shape of the church is cruciform, the shape of a cross. Nine arches intertwine in the choir loft. The church is of Renaissance architecture of the 15th century in Italy.

In 1977 the status of the church was changed from a parish church to a center promoting religious and cultural values.

In April 1982, the church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A restoration project was started in 1985. Two major projects remain: restoration of interior doors and renovation of the lighting.

Ron Kirby, president of the Old St. Vincent parish, said restoration work should be complete in October.

Common Pleas Courthouse

The site of the Common Pleas Courthouse has long served as a center for community activities.

Land for the courthouse was set aside by Louis Lorimier in 1805, as a civic center and seat of justice. The Indians used the spot for council meetings. It has also been used for conventions, worship services, schools, town meetings, band concerts, political rallies. Public auctions, slave sales and even legal floggings have been held there.

At one time, the Courthouse Park included a market house and a city calaboose. The market house assisted farmers in disposing of vegetables, freshly slaughtered meat, hand crafts and fresh eggs. The jail, quite simply, held offenders. Both built in 1852, the brick structures were destroyed in 1909.

When the Civil War began, the Union Army used the Common Pleas Courthouse, new at that time, for a headquarters. The dungeon in the basement was used for prisoners and Southern sympathizers.

The calaboose was used during the Civil War by the Union Army. The site was later chosen for the Union Soldier Memorial fountain.

Glenn House

Recreating the Victorian era in Cape Girardeau, the two-story Glenn House, 325 S. Spanish, has been restored and is operated by the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau.

The Glenn House was constructed in 1883 by Edwin Branch Deane for his daughter, Lulu Deane and David A. Glenn. The Glenns remained in the house until 1915 when the John J. Hunter family took occupancy until 1953. The house was then purchased by Dr. and Mrs. Sylvester Doggett and then by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Erlbacher, who gave the house the historical association.

The house has been restored and is operated as a museum. Tours are available. And the carriage house serves as a gift shop.

Added bonuses

History can be found virtually on every street.

The Port Cape Girardeau building, 19 N. Water, was reportedly used by Gen. U.S. Grant during the Civil War.

The Hechts building, 107 N. Main, is an example of 1920s architecture.

The newly named Alliance building at 11-15 S. Spanish, which is being restored, was built in the early 1900s. It served as the city's first commercial rental building with businesses leasing space.