The Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation announced its 2017 list of Historic Places in Peril at a special “Unhappy Hour” event at the National Building Arts Center, located in Sauget, Illinois just across the Mississippi River from downtown St. Louis.
Seven new endangered historic places were named to the list for 2017 and six were carried over from the previous year.
Missouri Preservation is a statewide non-profit organization that has at its core a mission to advocate for, educate about and assist in the preservation of architectural and historic landmarks that embody Missouri’s unique heritage and sense of place. Its chief advocacy program is its “Places in Peril.”
Begun as a media campaign in 2000 as “Missouri’s Most Endangered Historic Places,” the program calls attention to endangered historic resources statewide that are threatened by deterioration, lack of maintenance, insufficient funds, imminent demolition and/or inappropriate development.
The program was renamed “Places in Peril” in 2015. Once a historic resource is gone, it’s gone forever. By publicizing these places the organization hopes to build support toward the eventual preservation of each property named.
The former Kirksville High School Building at 411 East McPherson Street in Kirksville, is an Elizabethan/Collegiate Gothic style facility erected in 1914 and is the only remaining example of the style known in Kirksville. It represents the first citywide commitment to public education through the establishment of the first bond issue passed for its construction.
The building served as Kirksville’s main high school until 1960 and was the meeting place for the Kirksville Board of Education until 1978. It is of brick and stone construction with reinforced concrete floors. Since being vacated by the School Board in 1978, the building has had several owners but has not been well maintained. The building is currently on the City of Kirksville’s condemnation list.
The former Kirksville High School building has been deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. In 2014 the City received a Community Development Block grant for demolition of the building. The grant was not used due to higher than anticipated demolition costs and the owner’s inability to fund the difference.
It is hoped that by this listing on Missouri’s Places in Peril, a suitable buyer and developer can be found to repurpose and renovate this building which has architectural merit, possible eligibility for historic tax credits, and a nostalgic place in the hearts of many Kirksville residents.
Interested buyers should contact J.D. Smiser at 660.665.9873
