The Missouri State Archives are located two blocks west of the State Capitol Building on West Main Street. The Archives are situated within the James C. Kirkpatrick State Information Center, across the street from the historic William Porth House (also a Clio entry). The Archives houses over 336 million pages of paper, so you're sure to find something of interest! Thousands of historical maps, census records, county records, photographs, and military records of Missourians are housed here. The Archives are open for in-person research and offer tours for schoolchildren with advance notice.There are lots of resources available through their digital collection online, too.
The William Porth House was built of a local limestone called "cotton rock" sometime in the mid to late 1820s. The house is named after a man who moved to town in 1842 and became a judge. Upon his death in 1888, his son, Dr. Joseph P. Porth inherited the house and resided here with his family. Dr. Porth ran his medical practice from the walkout basement; Joseph was elected Mayor of Jefferson City in 1903 and was president of the Cole County Medical Association. The house passed out of the family's hands in 1923 and became a restaurant for decades. The building now house the corporate offices of the Architects Alliance.
Built from 1913 to 1917, the Missouri State Capitol is located Jefferson City and is the seat of the state government. It is the state's third capitol building. Like other state capitol buildings, it was designed in the Classical Revival style. Its most prominent feature, the dome, rises 262 feet from the basement floor. The building houses the Missouri State History Museum, which is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The capitol was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
The Missouri State Museum is located in the Missouri State Capitol. There are two galleries on the main floor that provide exhibits portraying the state's natural and cultural history. Museum staff provide tours of the Capitol and also manage Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, including the Elizabeth Rozier Gallery. The museum is operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources/Missouri State Parks.
The Jefferson Landing Historic Site is an historic area located in Jefferson City, Missouri, situated just east of the state capitol building. It is comprised of two historic structures: the Lohman Building, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and the Union Hotel. The Lohman Building has been restored as an 1850s general store and warehouse. A film about the history of Jefferson City is also shown there. The Union Hotel houses the Elizabeth Rozier Gallery, which presents rotating exhibits about Missouri history, art and culture. Admission to the site and both buildings is free.
Built in 1871, the Missouri Governor's Mansion is located near the state capitol in Jefferson City, Missouri. The first governor to take up residence there was Benjamin Gratz Brown (in office from January 1871-January 1873). It was designed by English native George Ingham Barnett in the Second Empire style, which was popular at the time. The style is distinguished by the use of a steep roof, which allows for another living space on the top floor. The home was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
The Cole County Historical Society is a local, non-profit organization in Jefferson City, Missouri dedicated towards educating the public about the county's history through the collection and preservation of historical artifacts and other materials. The society operates a museum, housed in the Benjamin Gratz Brown House. Docents provide tours from Tuesday to Saturday, 1 to 3 pm. Admission charges are $3 pre person, with discounts for age 55+ and schoolchildren. Ages five and under, as well as Historical society members, get admitted at no cost. Brown was elected the twentieth Governor of Missouri in 1870. He had these triple rowhouses constructed around 1871 on his wife's family's lot. One was used for housing while a new Governor's Mansion was being built, and then as a home for his mother-in-law and sister-in-law. The Benjamin Gratz Brown House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969.
Constructed in 1883, Temple Beth El is the oldest synagogue still used west of the Mississippi River and the 14th oldest in the country. It is a simple one-story structure located in the heart of downtown Jefferson City. It is a Reform congregation and as such belongs to the Union of Reform Judaism. According to official records, Jews had been living in the city since at least 1865. In 1879, a few of the men formed the Jefferson City Hebrew Cemetery Association to create a place for burial and also established the congregation that year. In 1882, some women of the Hebrew Ladies Sewing Society donated money to buy a plot of land with the purpose of building the temple. These women are honored in a plaque that is on display in the temple.
The Cole County Courthouse in Jefferson City was built in the Romanesque Revival style, a popular form for Missouri courthouse buildings in the late nineteenth century. The structure was built as the third courthouse for the county, and the second in Jefferson City, after the county seat was moved here from Marion in the 1830s. The massive stone courthouse with a county jail was completed in 1897. The building was gutted by a fire in March 1918 that started in the central clock tower; the corner pavilions collapsed due to the damage. The first floor and basement remained intact, but new stone was required to rebuild the second story and higher. Rebuilding began in October 1918 by Louis Schell. Don't miss the bicentennial events the county has planned for 2020 - see below for info on whiskey and beer being made just for the occasion.
Ivy Terrace is a Queen Anne style historic home built in 1893, that was the home of Governor Lawrence V. ("Lon") Stevens. Stevens was the State Treasurer when he had the house constructed. The huge Victorian home has about six bedrooms and seven baths and offers nearly 6,000 square feet of living space. As part of its mission to fight blight in urban Jefferson City, Ivy Terrace and five other nearby historic homes nearby (dating from 1875 to 1920) were acquired in 2019 by the Jefferson City Housing Authority and offered for redevelopment. The house was slightly damaged in a tornado that struck the town recently. Dozens of potential buyers viewed the Ivy Terrace home during open houses, and a redevelopment plan was accepted in February 2020, with details to be announced.
The red brick building on the corner of E. High and Lafayette was built sometime between 1892 and 1898. An example of the two-part commercial block, the structure features two commercial spaces on the ground floor and two residential units on the second story. A drugstore named East End Drugs has been in business in this building since 1904. The front façade makes it appear that both commercial spaces are one. The roof line is distinctive, with a parapet on the front façade having a rectangular section rising from the center and gabled peaks on the outer corners. The building features a corner entrance facing the street corner. The storefront was modernized in the 1950s with plate glass windows, light green Vitrolite facing, and aluminum. The original soda fountain still operates in what is now known as Whaley's East End Drugs.
The Missouri State Penitentiary is a former prison located in Jefferson City. It was in operation from 1836-2004 and as such was the oldest prison still in use in the state until it closed. Over time, buildings were added to the 47 acre site; the Warden's House, built in 1868, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The prison housed several high profile inmates such as James Earl Ray, the man who assassinated Martin Luther King in 1968. At its peak, the prison housed 5,200 inmates. It is open for tours and operates a museum located the corner of High and Jefferson streets.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
Start at the Missouri State Archives and walk past or into historic houses, the State Capitol, museums, a temple, and a courthouse. Stop for a milkshake at an old-time soda fountain in a drugstore, and end at the State Penitentiary.
