The late Mary Paxton Keeley spoke from the beyond through an event sponsored by the Friends of the Historic Columbia Cemetery. Keeley, MU’s first female journalism graduate, said through this interpretive event she was on the steps in 1909 when Walter Williams opened the doors to the what is reported to be the world’s first…
Category: Stephens College
New old images of Eero Saarinen’s Firestone Baars Chapel at Stephens College
Did you know there’s a bit of St. Louis in Columbia? The same designer, Eero Saarinen, who designed The Arch in St. Louis designed Stephens College’s Firestone Baars Chapel. If you love before and after views, you are going to love this historic images released on June 17, 2016 by the State Historical Society of…
Danger of demolitions
Any DIYer or carpenter can tell you the importance of the adage measure twice, cut once. That applies to demolitions, too. In 2013, several buildings were demolished, including a 1905 historic home, to make way for the Hagan Scholarship Academy, a residential college preparatory school for rural students. Three years later, despite the worthy plan,…
Horsey history here
Were you too busy to take in the Boone County Stables Tour this past weekend? Not to worry, the Columbia Historic Homes website has you covered. Here are links to information on the Stephens Stables with photos and history about these stables which were built in 1939 and 1952. This history is important because first it…
It’s a park, it’s an airport, it’s a Stephens training location
All history can become hidden, but it is sometimes it seems especially true for women’s history. This Stephens College blog post article spotlights a sign that was discovered during a demolition of an old building at Cosmo Park that revealed a bit of women’s history that probably has been nearly forgotten. The post outlines the…
Do you think Columbia is an architectural wasteland?
William Bernoudy – student of Frank Lloyd Wright. Eero Saarinen – architect of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Boller Brothers and an Paris opera. These are just a few of the names and reasons cited to dispel the idea that Columbia, Missouri is an architectural wasteland. In case you missed this article by Morgan McCarty in…
Take a historic tour of Columbia’s highlights
There’s no time limit on taking this historic tour. Here’s a link to a PowerPoint presentation that basically offers a tour of Columbia’s historic highlights. This presentation was presented by Deb Sheals, a historic preservation consultant, in May 2011 at a public meeting of the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission. I love taking these kinds of…
Stephens College President’s Home makes the news
Stephens College has five buildings on the Columbia Historic Preservation Commission’s Notable Properties Lists, however one was destroyed by fire after it was named to the list. A building that is not on the Notable Properties list recently made the news: the President’s House. Built in 1926 by then-Stephens President James Madison Wood, the house was…
A hidden home at Stephens College
Senior Hall, home to thousands of students over the years, actually started out as just that — a home. Built in 1841, Senior Hall is actually built around an 1840s house, built for Oliver Parker, of New Hampshire. He moved to Columbia in 1821 and opened and operated a general merchandise store. He died the…