Nancy Faulkner and the Great War of Nations Memorial

By Ryan Reed

The Great War of Nations Memorial dominating the Rolla Cemetery skyline was created to honor the twenty-one Phelps Countians who died during World War I.  Dedicated on May 9th, 1923, the memorial of contrasting red and black granite was sponsored by the Noah Coleman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.  The men who gave the ultimate sacrifice during “the war to end all wars” are well documented.  However, very little is known about the memorial’s designer, Nancy Faulkner.

Great War of Nations Memorial

Nancy Rowe Faulkner was born in DeSoto, Missouri on December 13, 1866 to Dr. Samuel and Mary Hutchings Rowe.  In 1875, Dr. Rowe moved his young family to Rolla from DeSoto and opened a drug store on Pine Street.  After obtaining his MD from Washington University, Dr. Rowe became the chair of the Medical Advisory Board and Assistant Medical Examiner for Phelps County.  While Nancy’s father was achieving great prominence in Rolla, she was educated at the public schools and excelled in the arts.  After completing her studies, Nancy married Millard Fillmore Faulkner, who was employed as a manager in her father’s store.

After their marriage, Nancy and Millard Faulkner continued to live in the residence above Rowe’s Drug Store on Pine Street until the completion of a large two story rock house.  The former Faulkner Home on North State Street is currently occupied by the Triangle Fraternity.  Millard became involved with local politics and eventually became the Mayor of Rolla.  During his political career, Millard took over the operations of Dr. Rowe’s Drug Store and hired several of his nephews to work as clerks and druggists. Among his newly employed family members was Virgil Faulkner, son of his older brother Charles.  Virgil continued to work at the drug store until America’s involvement with World War I.

Virgil Faulkner enlisted as a soldier and left Rolla on April 28, 1918.  His destination was Camp Funston at Fort Riley near Manhattan, Kansas.  Upon arrival at Camp Funston, Virgil became a Private in Company E, 354th Infantry of the 89th Division.  Among 50,000 other recruits from the Midwest, Virgil began basic training under the command of Major General Leonard Wood.  Four weeks later, the 89th Division boarded trains and headed east to New York City.  From New York, the division sailed to England and subsequently France.  Virgil’s baptism by fire occurred on the night of August 6th, 1918 at Toul, France when the 354th Infantry was shelled by canisters of mustard gas.  The following month, Virgil faced the 10th German Infantry in the Battle of Saint-Mihiel.  The 89th Division attacked from Flirey, moving through the Bois de Mort Mare towards Thiaucourt.  The battle concluded after three days and over 7,000 Allied troops were dead.

Nancy Rowe Faulkner

Following the Battle of Saint-Mihiel, the 89th Division joined the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.  Virgil arrived with the 354th Infantry on the night of October 19th.  He was ordered to go into the line along the Sommerance-Romagne Road. This was to the north of the German position which had been taken by the 32nd Divison the week before. The Division was tasked with straightening the front line in the Bois de Bantheville before the planned attack on the 1st of November.  The forest had reportedly been cleared by the departing 32nd Division, but the Germans had re infiltrated and the 354th Infantry set about clearing the forest of enemy soldiers again.  During the push to remove the Germans from the Bois de Bantheville, Virgil Faulkner was killed in action at the age of 22.  He was the first Phelps Countian who gave the ultimate sacrifice during World War I.  He was buried in France and was reinterred in the Rolla Cemetery after the war.

At the conclusion of the war, the Noah Coleman Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution sponsored a memorial to be constructed to honor the fallen soldiers of Phelps County.  Among the members of the chapter was Virgil Faulkner’s aunt, Nancy Rowe Faulkner.  Recognized for her artist talents, Nancy was commissioned to design a memorial. As the memorial was being completed and the city anticipated it’s unveiling, Nancy husband, Millard Faulkner, passed away.  Dealing with the loss of her husband, Nancy attended the dedication where Governor Arthur M. Hyde unveiled the new monument known as The Great War of Nations Memorial.

The memorial originally sat adjacent to the Rolla Post Office on Pine Street, currently the Public Library. In 1956, the monument was relocated to its present location in the Rolla Cemetery.  Among the list of the soldiers of Phelps County who perished during World War I were:

Virgil A. Faulkner

Frances A. Garmack

John Wiedeman

Herman Lupberger

William H. Crolley

Don Mitchell

Albert Eickman

Robert L. Price

James A. Hyatt

Lindsey Lanning

Morris Thomas

Walter Splith

William Allen

Charles Arthur

Homer Reed

Lewis Simms

Ellas Barnical

Emil H. Hoffman

Hugh W. Finley

Oscar Bailey

Issac A. Bridgeman

Tell Sen. Brown to Vote “NO” on SB-5 and SB-32

By Ryan Reed

On Jan 30, 2013, the Senate Committee on Jobs and Economic Development held a hearing on Senate Bill 5 (SB-5) and Senate Bill 32 (SB-32).   Sponsored by Senator Brad Lager of Savannah and Senator John Lamping of St. Louis, each bill would significantly lower the cap on State Historic Tax Credits.  If passed, SB-5 and SB-32 could have a crippling effect on a program that has made a significant financial impact across the State of Missouri.

Created in 1998, the Missouri State Historic Tax Credit is a law providing an investment tax credit equal to 25 percent of approved costs associated with qualified rehabilitations.  The resulting financial impacts have been a boon for the state.  Between 1998 and 2010 the Missouri State Historic Tax Credit has resulted in 43,105 jobs created or retained, leveraged $2.9 billion in private investment, and generated $669 million in local and state tax revenues.  Not only has the tax credits helped out urban centers, it has been beneficial to our rural communities.  In fact, of the 74 communities in Missouri that have utilized historic tax credits, 68 have been rural communities.  Specifically, Springfield leveraged roughly $130 million in private investments from historic tax credits while Cape Girardeau leveraged $35 million.  Why would our state legislature want to cap and sunset an incentive that has compounded benefits economically and greatly enhanced Missouri’s communities?

15 North Main Street in Cape Girardeau.  Before and After.

A specific example on a single property utilizing state historic tax credits and the compounding financial benefits within a community is 15 North Main Street in Cape Girardeau.    Rehabbed by Michael Hess in 2012, the project incurred over $230,000 in expenses of which $212,000 was eligible for the state historic tax credit resulting in $53,000 in credits. Below is breakdown of figures.

Benefits Accrued by the State and Local Community:

An increase of employment from 5 to 30 individuals.
Generating 4 to 5 times more in local sales tax
Generating 4 to 5 times more in state sales tax

 Increase in Tax Revenue:

State income tax will be generated on 30 jobs instead of 5 jobs

Went from paying $2,000 per month in sales tax to nearly $10,000 per month in sales tax

Generating between $3,320 and $4,400 a month more in state sales tax

Generating between $2,680 and $3,600 a month more in local sales tax

Property tax revenue to the county will increase.

Rather than being demolished and all the building material ending up in a landfill, the building has found new life and is a tangible piece of the town’s history.  It keeps the character of the town in place making it unique from any other town.

Our senator, Dan Brown of Rolla, has stated that he is not in favor of the state historic tax credit.  If you live in District 16, which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Montgomery, Osage, Phelps and Pulaski Counties, please contact Senator Brown and tell him to vote “NO” on SB-5 and SB-32.  He can be contacted at Dan.Brown@senate.mo.gov or via telephone at (573) 751-5713.  If you are not sure what to say, please copy and paste the message below into an email with your name.

Senator Brown,

I am a voter in the 16^th Missouri Senate District and I would like you to vote “NO” on SB-5 and SB-32 which would severely cap and subsequently sunset the Missouri State Historic Tax Credit.

The Missouri State Historic Tax Credit has been economically beneficial for the State of Missouri since its creation in 1998.  Specifically, the Missouri State Historic Tax Credit has resulted in 43,105 jobs created or retained, leveraged $2.9 billion in private investment, and generated $669 million in local and state tax revenues.  Not only has the tax credits helped out urban centers, it has been beneficial to our rural communities.  In fact, of the 74 communities in Missouri that have utilized historic tax credits, 68 have been rural communities.  Specifically, Springfield leveraged roughly $130 million in private investments from historic tax credits while Cape Girardeau leveraged $35 million.

As an elected official representing my district, please vote no on SB-5 and SB-32. 

Thank You

(YOUR NAME)

If you live outside of Senator Brown’s district but are not sure who your senator is you can find them on the Legislative Look-Up on the State of Missouri's website.

Thank you for your time and commitment!

Rolla Preservation Alliance

Deciphering Preservation Jargon: Local and National Historic Districts

By Ryan Reed

Making a case for preservation opens a lexiconic can of worms that can be overwhelming and difficult to understand.  Historic district, contributing resource, state and federal tax credits, preservation review can easily confuse and scare anyone not familiar with the language.  Broken into manageable pieces, the different facets of the laws that can assist or hinder preservation efforts are pretty simple.

Phelps County Courthouse.  Listed in the National Register in 1993

The National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on October 15, 1966.  This act established a national policy regarding preservation and created several institutions including the National Register of Historic Places.  The register is an official list of districts, buildings, sites, structures and objects worthy of preservation with significance to our culture, architecture and history.   For inclusion on the National Register, a property’s physical appearance and significance must be evaluated through a nomination process.  To be in the National Register, the nominated property must meet at least one of four criterions.  This criterion includes an association with a significant person or event in American history, significance in design and construction and/or potential information that could be garnered through archaeology.  Concerning the physical integrity of the building, if several historic elements of a building (i.e. windows and wall cladding) have been removed or heavily altered; the building may not make it past the nomination process.  If your property has not been heavily altered, is significant through one or more criterion and is over 50 years old, it has the potential to be listed on the National Register.

Many questions from property owners can arise when their home or business could potentially be listed in the National Register.  Will the government tell me what color I have to paint my house?  Do I have to make my house look like it did in 1885?  Will my house be open to the public?  The short answer to all of the above is no.  On its own, the National Register has little impact on private property owners.  For starters, individual properties cannot be nominated without the owner’s consent.  Historic districts cannot be listed without the permission of a majority of property owners within the district’s boundary.  The federal government does not implement any design guidelines for your home if it is individually listed or within a historic district.  Also, listing in the National Register does not protect sites from demolition or alteration.  The only restriction that comes with listing is a review of projects using federal funds that could negatively impact the site or district.  Known as a Section 106, this is one of the many institutions created when the National Historic Preservation Act was signed into law.  The project potentially affecting the property is reviewed by federal and state agencies.  These agencies work to mitigate the effects of the project which could include blocking demolition or moving the affected property.

1435 Salisbury in North St. Louis. Located in the Hyde Park Historic District, owners were able to utilize state and federal tax credits for a rehab.

When individuals discuss how they can’t replace their windows or tear down their garage, they are referring to local historic districts.  Unlike national historic districts, a local historic district is a bottom up operation involving rules and regulation created by neighborhood residents.  In comparison, homeowners in a national historic district are not bound by any commitment as to how their property will look or by any rules that govern future repairs of their home.  Local historic districts require a tremendous amount of community support.  Typically, residents in a neighborhood will create and consent to a set of design guidelines.  These design guidelines typically govern new construction and relate to all exterior features including windows, rooflines, paint colors, etc.  Therefore, the people of the neighborhood, not the government, create and agree to follow a set of local regulations.

There are several advantages to being in a local or national historic district.  Many property owners seek National Register designation, because it allows access to state and federal historic tax credits.  If your building is a contributing resource in a district, meaning the building adds to the historic integrity of the district, it is eligible for tax credits.  Luckily, the State of Missouri has a state tax credit that can be used in combination with the federal tax credit.  Combined, the credits could potentially offset rehabilitation costs by 45%.  The State Historic Preservation Office, created by the National Preservation Act to monitor preservation activities at the state level, reviews and approves rehabilitation work for state tax credits.  Federal tax credits are limited to income-producing, depreciable property.  This would include commercial or residential rental property.  A personal residence would not qualify for the federal credit.  The state credit also applies to income-producing property.  Additionally, a personal residence can qualify for the state tax credit.

Since the inception of the federal tax credit in 1976 and the state tax credit in 1998, both incentives have encouraged economic growth in urban cores, residential neighborhoods and small towns across Missouri.  Tax credit projects in Springfield, Missouri during 2011 created $130 million in private investment for the community.  Over 74 communities across the state have benefited from the incentives.  Overwhelmingly, 73% of the total communities who have used tax credits were situated in rural areas in the state.  In the last 14 years, the Missouri Historic Tax Credit Program has created over 40,000 jobs in the state.  During the fiscal year 2011, $116,244,410.00 in tax credits were issued statewide!

Currently, Rolla only has four individual properties listed in the National Register  and zero historic districts.  If you believe Rolla should establish historic districts and benefit economically like the 74 other communities across the state from historic tax credits, contact your local council person.  Contact information for each council person can be found at the bottom of the post concerning Rayl Cafeteria.

Inez C. Parker: Rolla's Poet Laureate

By Ryan Reed 
 

Inez C. Parker circa 1902

Inez Corene Parker was an African-American writer from Rolla, Missouri whose verse was widely circulated at the turn of the twentieth century.  She was one of the first African-Americans to attempt to make a living from her literary work.  Parker’s poems gained national exposure and were widely circulated in journals and newspapers in Chicago, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, etc.  She traveled throughout the country giving recitals of her literature and gained several prominent admirers including Secretary of State John Hay. However, very little is known of this early African-American professional writer who lived her entire life in Rolla.

Life began for Inez Parker in a small frame house at the northeast corner of Fourth and Cedar Streets on January 4, 1876.    Both of Inez’s parents, John Parker and Sedonia Blackwell, were former slaves.  Her father was a native of Georgia who was working as a shoemaker in Texas County, Missouri prior to his marriage.  Sedonia, born in Missouri, was employed as a housekeeper in the home of attorney Edward A. Seay in 1870.  After their marriage in 1872, the small home where Inez was born was constructed for the Parkers.  After the birth of Inez, the Parker family continued to grow and included ten children.

As a child, Parker attended the segregated public schools in Rolla.  Afterward, having the advantages of some private instruction, she graduated from the high school in Rolla.  Her education also included instruction in music, French and Latin.  After completing her studies, she was employed to teach elocution and music by several members of the African-American community in Rolla.

Parker’s first professionally published poem was “Hope” which appeared in a Chicago literary journal circa 1898.  The publication of the poem was the result of a contest held by the journal.  Over forty individuals, all of whom were white, submitted entries.  After the publication of “Hope”, Parker was contacted by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and asked write verses for publication.  In 1899, five of Parker’s poems were published in the newspaper. 

During this time, the style of Parker’s poems began to change.  Much of her work was authored in conventional English, while some were rendered in an African-American dialect.  The latter structure was popularized by Paul Laurence Dunbar.  A contemporary of Parker’s, Dunbar was an African-American poet, novelist and playwright who achieved national fame.  The use of dialect popularized his writings so much that editors refused to print his more traditional poems and demanded he focus on dialect.  Dunbar came to believe that the marketability of dialect poems was demeaning and it inflicted irrevocable harm to the African-American community.  However, Dunbar didn’t consider his dialect poetry to be inferior to his Standard English writings.  Modern scholars of Dunbar’s writings have begun to discover the humanity of his dialect work.  Most of Parker’s published poems in 1899, such as “’Manicaption Day” and “When Daddy Plays de Banjo” were written in a dialect form.

Parker’s work gained popularity and her verses were widely circulated.  Her work appeared in The Broadax (Salt Lake City, Utah), The Vermont Phoenix (Brattleboro, Vermont), The New York Age (New York City), The Minneapolis Journal (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and many more.   The Commoner of Lincoln, Nebraska was so impressed with Parker’s work they gave her a year-long subscription in 1906. Due to her increased popularity, Parker was requested by various organizations to recite her poems and short stories.  She appeared before sold out audiences, black and white, in St. Louis between 1904 and 1907.

After 1910, mentions of Parker and her writings in national publication virtually vanish.  In 1910, she is listed in the federal census as living with her mother and earning money through elocution recitals. By 1920, she is still living with her mother at Fourth and Cedar Streets.  At the time, Harold Griggs was boarding with the Parkers.  Within a few years, Griggs and Parker were married.  Harold worked as a janitor and Inez is continually listed as doing “house work” after their marriage.  After the death of her mother in 1929, the Griggs continued to live at Forth and Cedar Street until the death of Inez on December 20, 1950.

Inez Parker briefly garnered national acclaim yet never attained distinction in the literary world.  She penned a large body work, written in standard English and African-American dialect, which has been largely forgotten.  However, the success of this Rolla native at a time when opportunities for African-Americans were extremely limited should not be forgotten.  Parker was one of the few African-American at the time that was able to make a living through her writing.  Parker was the precursor to a new generation of African-American writers, including Langston Hughes, who embraced vernacular speech of their time and place.  The contributions and influence of this local writer on the larger literary world should be remembered and cherished by the citizens of Rolla and beyond.

HOPE

The morn was dreary and gray with mist,

By faintest glimmer of gold unkissed;

But Hope looked forth with a vision bright,

And whispered low, with a smile of light:

“Oh heart, dear heart, be of good cheer;

The noon will be fairer-never fear!”

Wind-swept the noon came, wet with rain,

All sighs and shadows, all tears and pain;

But Hope looked forth with a steadfast eye,

And whispered low as the wind shrieked by:

“on, heart, faint heart, be of good cheer;

At eve ‘twill be fairer-never fear!”

The shrouded sun found a cloudy tomb,

And without a star came a night of gloom;

But Hope looked forth with a vision bright,

And whispered low, with a smile of light:

“Oh, heart, sad heart, be of good cheer;

The morn will be fairer-never fear!”

 

Who Was Rayl?

By Ryan Reed

John W. Rayl

In our last post concerning the proposed demolition of Rayl Cafeteria by the Missouri University of Science and Technology, many of our readers asked, “Who was Rayl?”  Our research over the past week has uncovered minimal but interesting facts about the individual whose name is memorialized with the construction of the university facility.

John W. Rayl was born on April 8, 1920 in the Blackwater Township of Pettis County, Missouri.  He was the eldest of five children to Columbus Rayl and Letha Bishop.  Raised on a farm, Rayl soon found himself as head of the family at the age of 16 after the death of his father.  He attended Smith Cotton High School and served as the student council president during his senior year.  In 1938, Rayl was accepted to the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy to study Mining Engineering.

As a student, Rayl was active in several student organizations.  Upon his arrival, he joined Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity and was a member of the student council.  During his sophomore year he was elected class president and continued to act as a representative for the organization.  After the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941, Rayl joined R.O.T.C where he advanced to the rank of Major and Commanding Officer of the Second Battalion during his senior year. 

After graduating from MSM in 1942, Rayl joined the Army and achieved the rank of Captain with the 165^th Engineer Combat Battalion with the Army Corp of Engineers.  During World War II, the Army Corp of Engineers was responsible for building countless bridges and building or maintaining roads vital to the Allied advance across Europe. On July 27, 1944, Rayl and the 165^th Engineer Combat Battalion landed in Saint Germain sur Seves, France.  The assault was a part of Operation Cobra with the 90^th Infantry Division.  The operation was an offensive launched during the Normandy Campaign to gain position against German occupied northwestern France.  The mission was a success and the Allied troops began liberating villages throughout northwestern France including Periers and Millieres.  The following month after the invasion, the 165^th Engineer Combat Battalion began the repair of airfields vacated by the Luftwaffe during the Allied invasion.  On Friday, August 18^th, 1944, Rayl was killed in action near the St. Andre airfield in Evreaux, France at the age of 24.  He was buried at a cemetery within the vicinity of the airport.

At the end of World War II, Rayl’s remains were exhumed and transported back to the United States.  On May 21, 1949, Rayl was reinterred at the Springfield National Cemetery in Springfield, Missouri.  Nine years later, as MSM was in the midst of creating a new student housing complex, the university decided to commemorate the valiant action of their former graduate.  On October 25, 1958 the new cafeteria at the intersection of 10^th Street and Highway 63 was dedicated in Capt. John W. Rayl’s honor.

Rayl Cafeteria: Rolla Modernism Threatened with Demolition

By Ryan Reed

Striking contemporary architecture in Rolla is far and few between.  Even less likely is architecture designed by a successful internationally known practice who has shaped the built environment for nearly six decades.  Throw in an architect with a local connection and this would be a complete anomaly.  Luckily for us, we have all of these rarities contained in one building at the intersection of Highway 63 and 10^th Street.  Rayl Cafeteria was constructed in 1958* for the Missouri School of Mines, currently the Missouri University of Science and Technology, as part of their student housing community.  Fifty-five years later, the same school wants to raze the building and surrounding dormitories for a surface parking lot.

Rayl Cafeteria

After World War II, the student population of the Missouri School of Mines (MSM) exploded.  This was due in part to the GI Bill which provided returning veterans with a slew of benefits including tuition to attend college.  Kelly Hall, constructed in 1949, was MSM’s only dormitory.  It quickly became insufficient for the growing student body.  To compensate, MSM designed a new student housing community around a quadrangle.  Between 1958 and 1959, McAnerney, Farrar and Altman Halls and the architecturally astounding Rayl Cafeteria were constructed.  To design the dining hall, MSM hired the nascent architectural firm of Hellmuth, Obata and Kassabaum (HOK). 

The St. Louis firm was founded in 1955 by three Washington University School of Architecture graduates, George Hellmuth, Jr., Gyo Obata and George Kassabaum.  Hellmuth’s father, George Sr., was born and raised in St. James and attended MSM.  After graduation, George Sr. moved to St. Louis and established a successful architecture firm of his own.  He even designed several buildings in Phelps County including the James Memorial Library in St. James and Parker Hall on the Missouri S&T campus.  The descendants of George Sr. and Jr. occasionally make the pilgrimage back to St. James to see the two story frame white house on Scioto where their ancestors lived. 

The cafeteria designed by HOK was a functional yet sculptural building with an emphasis on the horizontal.  It was a straightforward International style design, created nearly 30 years after the movement started in Europe.  The most prominent feature is a large hollowed out concrete rectangle with recessed glass curtain walls on the north and south facades.  Within this section is an open plan where the cafeteria was located.   The concrete and glass cafeteria is cantilevered on a brick foundation which contains the food preparation and service area.  The lower level is accessed by entrances flanked by single light side lights on the south and east elevations.  The building resembles a large eye staring at the row of gas stations and fast food chains along Highway 63.

George Hellmuth, Gyo Obata and George Kassabaum in 1956

Since designing Rayl Cafeteria, HOK’s work has steady evolved and they have created an extremely diverse practice.  Their ability to connect designers across building types, design disciplines and regions across the world is unparalleled.  The firm’s early commissions were designing elementary schools, high schools and colleges.  Worried they would be classified as “one building” type architects, HOK pursued a wide variety of projects.  HOK went after hospitals, corporate buildings, religious institutions, prisons, etc., because they wanted a practice with a greater range in comparison to other firms.  Their extensive portfolio includes, St. Louis Priory Chapel (1962), James S. McDonnell Planetarium (1963), National Air and Space Museum (1976), Independence Temple (1994) and many more.  The fact the Rolla has one of HOK's earliest works at a prominent intersection is something to be cherished.

In 2009, the Missouri University of Science and Technology released their Campus Master Plan which details several demolitions of prominent buildings, including Rayl Auditorium, for surface parking lots and new construction.  The amount of material waste produced from demolition and the expenditure of resources used to construct new goes against the advocacy of the university.

At the turn of the twenty-first century, Missouri S&T became the first university in the nation to voluntarily commit to an Environmental Management System (EMS).  An EMS provides a structured approach to the planning and implementation of environmental protection procedures using the guidelines set forth under the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).  These guidelines encourage creative and relevant solutions from within the organization itself to reduce its impact on the environment and our natural resources.  To further their commitment, Missouri S&T implemented a sustainability policy to minimize the university’s pollutants and advocate environmental stewardship. Stated within the purpose of their policy is the continual improvement of environmental stewardship with respect to materials, water and energy use.

L to R St. Louis Priory Chapel (1962), McDonnell Planetarium (1963) and the National Air and Space Museum (1976)

The university further advocates sustainability through the Student Design and Experimental Learning Center (SDELC).  The center allows experimental learning through projects supporting multi-disciplinary student research.  These projects include initiatives in solar technology to limit our dependence on finite resources.  The projects include the solar decathlon and solar housing which have given the university international recognition concerning solar technology.

Location of Rayl on Missouri S&T's Master Plan

The university can further its commitment to sustainability and limit its impact upon the environment by reusing the historic building such as Rayl and others slated for demolition in their Master Plan.  Retrofitting historic buildings and structures for modern purposes is recycling on a large scale.  The building contains a tremendous amount of embodied energy.  The term embodied energy relates to the  amount of energy expended in the creation and construction of a building.  For example, the bricks of Rayl contain a large amount of embodied energy.  The clay used to create the brick was mined using a bevy of miners to extract the material.  Once mined, the clay was loaded onto trucks and transported to a brick manufacturer.  At the manufacturer, the clay was molded into shape, hydraulically pressed and fired in large kilns.  The finished brick was again loaded onto trucks and transported to the site where the cafeteria now sits.  The brick was laid in place by a handful of masons and bricklayers to create the walls of Rayl.  Each step of this process required a large amount of fossil fuels, cash and manpower that are now “contained” within the brick.  A similar amount of resources were also needed for the windows, metal and other elements used in the creation of the cafeteria.  Demolishing the building and others would require a similar expenditure of energy to construct a new building and increase the university’s carbon foot print on the environment.

Missouri S&T has the opportunity to make Rayl, the former Trachoma Hospital and other building slated for demolition an integral part of Rolla again.  The rehabilitation of the buildings will further the university’s commitment to their sustainability policy and EMS.  A rehabilitation of the buildings can also be integrated into the curriculum of the university and be used as a learning opportunity for SDELC. The combination of these opportunities has the ability to attract more students to the university and individuals and families to Rolla while maintaining a valued piece of Rolla’s cultural heritage.

If you share the same sentiment, please contact the following people.  Let them know you prefer the rehabilitation and creative adaptive reuse of Rolla’s historic built environment.  Our landscape is unique.  No other town has a Rayl Caferteria, a Missouri Trachoma Hospital or other buildings that separate us from the hamlets, villages, town and cities of America.  Let’s be an example of sustainability for the surrounding region while retaining our character.

Chancellor of Missouri S&T: Cheryl B. Schrader 
Assistant to the Chancellor: Linda Bramel
Vice Chancellor of Missouri S&T: Debra Robinson
Provost of Missouri S&T: Warren K. Wray
Mayor of Rolla:  Bill Jenks

Rolla City Council Memers

Ward 1
Monty Jordan
William Lindgren

Ward 2
Steve Leonard
Greg Sawyer

Ward 3
Kelly Long
Sue Eudlay

Ward 4
Don Morris
Louis Magdits

Ward 5
Jim Williams
Carrolyn Bolin

Ward 6
Tony Bahr
Fran Mazanec

* Special thanks to Leann Arndt of the State Historical Society of Missouri, Rolla Research Center for discovering the architect and date of construction for Rayl Cafeteria.

Henry H. Hohenschild: Rolla's Architect

By Ryan Reed 

Henry Hohenschild circa 1897

Henry Hohenschild moved to Rolla in 1882 and made the southwest corner of Eight and Olive his home for over 30 years.  During his three decades in Rolla, he delved into politics and publishing.  However, his most profound impact was on the built environment.  A largely self-trained architect, Hohenschild designed scores of buildings in Rolla and the surrounding communities.  At the turn of the twentieth century, he became the architect for the State of Missouri and designed countless municipal building across the state.  His architectural contributions have been recognized in Missouri and several have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Regardless, his influence politically, socially and architecturally in Rolla has been largely forgotten.

Henry Hohenschild was born in St. Louis on June 2, 1862 to German immigrants Wilhelm and Kunigunde Hohenschild.  The youngest of seven children, Hohenschild was raised in the Soulard neighborhood of South St. Louis.  His father died in 1873 when Hohenschild was only eleven.  He and his mother moved in with his eldest brother, William, and continued to live with him until the end of the decade.  Unlike his father and four brothers, Hohenschild was not attracted to profession of butcher.  Instead he developed an interest in architecture.  At a young age he honed his skills in technical drawing by working as a clerk for architect Charles E. Illsley.  By 1876, when Hohenschild was only 16 years old, he was listed in the St. Louis city directory as an architect.  Hohenschild’s early work in St. Louis has never been documented.  What is known is he quickly developed a successful practice after moving to Rolla in 1881. 

There are a few factors which likely drew Hohenschild to Rolla in 1881.  His older sister, Emma, moved to Rolla circa 1874 after her husband became the head miller of the Rolla Flouring Mills.  Her husband, Frederick W. Seele, was responsible for retrofitting the mill with modern machinery.  Frederick’s brother, Henry Seele, was a gunsmith who occupied a commercial space on Eight Street east of Pine Street.  On the night of July 4, 1881, Henry lost his business to a devastating fire that destroyed nineteen buildings along Eight Street.  The fire was likely caused by fireworks that landed on the roof of Daum’s boarding house on the south side of Eight Street near the railroad line.  The fire quickly spread west to adjoining buildings.  As the fire was being fought by both the white and black fire brigades with the aid of citizens, cinders leapt to the north side of Eight Street and ignited Seele’s gunsmith shop.  The fire moved east and enveloped Kraus’ Hotel and the Crandell House.  The fire final extinguished due to lack of combustible material.  Nearly every building along either side of Eight Street from Pine Street to west and the railroad tracks to the east was destroyed.

The Crandell House at Eight Street and the railroad. Razed.

Professional architects became a much needed commodity after the fire.  Hohenschild was known in Rolla due his familial ties to the Seele’s.  He had also been to Rolla the month before the fire after he was commissioned by the school board to design a new school house.  Hohenschild was quickly inundated with design work in Rolla.  His first contracts consisted of designs for the Crandell House, the Kraus Boarding House, a commercial building for David W. Malcolm and an office for attorney Luman F. Parker.  All of his contracts were located along the recently ravaged Eight Street. Due to the large amount of contracts in Rolla, Hohenschild opened an office on the east side of Pine Street between Sixth and Seventh Streets during the Fall of 1881.  The following Summer he designed and had constructed for himself a two story frame house at the southwest corner of Eight and Olive Streets.  By the age of nineteen, Hohenschild had already made a significant impact on Rolla’s built environment.

For the next decade, Hohenschild became one of the leading and most influential architects in Rolla.  His commissions included public buildings, commercial spaces, religious institutions, academic facilities and residences.  These commissions included Lincoln School at First and Pine Streets (1882), The Chancellor’s Residence at Eleventh and State Streets (1890), The Masonic Lodge at Seventh and Pine Street (1891), The Mining Laboratory for the Missouri School of Mines at Twelfth and Pine Streets (1893) and The Rolla State Bank at Seventh and Pine Streets (1894).  A few examples include the residence of Governor Seay of Kingfisher, Oklahoma (1891), the Masonic Temple in Houston, Missouri (1898) and the St. James Public School (1900)

Lincoln School constructed 1882.

In 1899, Hohenschild was appointed State Architect by Governor Lon V. Stephens.  His duties included the design and construction supervision of numerous public projects.  This included the Asylum for the Insane in Farmington, Missouri in 1901, the Tuberculosis Sanitarium in Mount Vernon, Missouri in 1905 and the temporary state capitol building in Jefferson City in 1912.  During his time as State Architect, Hohenschild maintained his residence in Rolla and continued taking commissions in Phelps County.  Among his local projects during this time were two public schools.  Benton School at Sixth and Cedar Streets was designed in 1909 and Rolla High School was constructed two blocks north of Benton seven years later.  Hohenschild was even commission in 1904 to design the headstone for former state senator Samuel H. Headlee who was interred in the Masonic Cemetery in St. James. 

Hohenschild's early designs were a mixture of architectural styles.  During the mid to late nineteenth century, architects drew heavily on Medieval precedents and the resulting styles were closely interrelated.  The Chancellor’s Residence is an example of various elements of Queen Anne, Romanesque and Chateauesque blending seamlessly in one building.  At the turn of the twentieth century, experimental combinations of styles became common with architects. Popular styles at the time including Prairie, Mission, Craftsman, etc., were being integrated with romantic styles of the previous decades.  The Washington County Courthouse in Potosi was designed by Hohenschild in 1907 and combines Italianate elements from the Romantic period with dominate design features of the Prairie style.   However, Hohenschild designed several building throughout his career following an exclusive style.  Jackling Gymnasium, designed in 1915, is a Gothic Revival building utilizing pointed arches, crenellated parapets and drip molds.  The Pike County Courthouse in Bowling Green, Missouri , designed in 1917, is a straight forward Neoclassical building incorporating a pedimented portico supported by Ionic columns.  His mastery of design reflects a surprising adaptability for an architect who learned his trade at the height of the Victorian era.

Chancellor's Residence constructed 1890

Hohenschild became politically active while living in Rolla.  In 1884 he was appointed City Assessor by the Rolla City Council and subsequently became City Treasurer six years later.  In 1896, Democrats of the 27^th Senatorial District met at Shaw’s Opera House at Eight and Pine Streets where Hohenschild put in his nomination for state senator.  From his previous positions held in local government, Hohenschild gained a reputation for being an “ardent and uncompromising democrat.”  Local newspapers were against Hohenschild’s nomination and supported local physician and Republican candidate, J.L. Short.  The Rolla New Era insinuated that Hohenschild’s candidacy was “hatched out of a back room of a banking institution and that the vote was fixed.”  The publication continued by stating that, “he knows very little about the requirements of the laboring classes and cares less.”  Nonetheless,  Hohenschild beat Short by over 700 votes and became a state senator by the age of 24. 

Hohenschild’s term as senator was lackluster.  He introduced legislation against the slandering of political officials in circulated publications prior to general elections.  Hohenschild authored the bill after slanderous material was circulated across the 27^th District prior to the election.  The new senator did not want others to face the same annoyances that he experienced during his campaign.  The bill stated that no newspaper shall print any statements against a candidate for political office or even accuse him of party disloyalty within ten days of the election.  This bill garnered little support and was quickly defeated.  By the end of his term, Hohenschild hoped for a second nomination by the Democrats of the 27^th District.  However, Phelps County went against him and instructed their delegates to nominate attorney Robert Meriweather of Rolla.  Hohenschild’s term came to a close during the winter of 1901 and thus ended his political career.

Gov. Seay Residence in Kingfisher, Oklahoma constructed 1891

After his political defeat, Hohenschild returned to Rolla and stayed busy at his architectural practice.  He received commissions to design the Pulaski County Courthouse in Waynesville in 1903 and a school in Bolivar, Missouri during the same year.  He even designed the residence of Ralph E. Burley in Lebanon, Missouri in 1905.  This is the last known residential commission of Hohenschild’s and currently the only residential building for which the original blueprints survive.

In 1906, Hohenschild found himself embroiled in a bitter fight that divided the citizens of Rolla.  During his term as state senator, the Missouri School of Mines appointed a new Chancellor, George E. Ladd.  Ladd was an outspoken native of Massachusetts who admitted he was “willful, quick tempered” and "inclined to be rebellious.”  Ladd threw himself into an attempt to improve the campus to make it aesthetically pleasing to attract students to Rolla.  In his criticisms of the campus, Ladd called the Chancellor’s residence a “monstrosity.”  Ladd’s statements quickly put him at odds with Hohenschild who had designed several building on campus.  Hohenschild had typically been the de facto architect for the university.  However, when Ladd allowed competitive bidding on the design of new campus buildings, Hohenschild sought to remove him as Chancellor.

Ladd accepted a position to be the Director of the Missouri Mineral Exhibit during the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis.  By taking the offer, Ladd would be drawing two salaries from the State of Missouri.  Hohenschild was the former Inspector General for the state during his term as state senator.  As Inspector General, Hohenschild was charged with examining the actions of various government agencies to ensure they were operating in compliance with government policies.  He was also responsible to discover any misconduct, waste, fraud, theft or any criminal activity related to an agency’s operations.  Detecting a misuse of government funds, Hohenschild, who still wielded political influence in Missouri, persuaded the newly elected governor, Joseph Folk, to investigate Ladd’s administration.

St. James Public School constructed 1900

During the Winter of 1906, Governor Folk appointed an investigation committee consisting of Hohenschild and State Representative W.J. Salts of Rolla.  For three days in February, Salts and Hohenschild interviewed over forty witnesses at the Phelps County Courthouse for testimony against Ladd.  As the investigation was being conducted, factions in Rolla were angry over the insinuations against Ladd.  Hohenschild was involved in a street brawl with the editor of the Rolla New Era, Col. Charles Woods.  Hohenschild believed Woods was spreading derogatory statements about him. The following morning, Representative Salts was walking to the courthouse when he met City Clerk, B.H. Rucker.  Salts confronted Rucker because, like Hohenschild, he believed Rucker was spreading rumors across the county regarding his character. Salts began giving Rucker a piece of his mind and Rucker responded by punching Salts in the face.  In retaliation, Salts produced a pistol.  Rucker grabbed the pistol and a struggle ensued until they were separated by local citizens.  Salts was immediately arrested for assault and carrying a concealed weapon.  At the end of the deliberation, the students of the Missouri School of Mines marched with torches through Rolla which culminated with burning Hohenschild in effigy at the intersection of Eight Street and the railroad tracks.  In the end, Ladd resigned the following year due to the investigations and pursued mining investments near Joplin.

Outside of his political and architectural career, very little is known about Hohenschild’s personal life.  A lifelong bachelor, Hohenschild lived with his mother and various family members including his niece and nephew Edna Hohenschild and Robert Seele.  He established the Rolla Literary and Dramatic Club in 1883 and began to direct and perform in plays held at Campbell’s Hall.  He typically played the leading man in performances such as "Little Sunshine" and "Ten Nights in a Bar Room."  Hohenschild also authored and produced several publications.  These included a periodical, “The St. Louis Architect and Builder” in 1886, and a book entitled “Practical Hints on Building.”  Hohenschild was also a member of several local, national and international organizations.  In 1885, he became a charter member of the Western Association of Architects and was admitted to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).  Four years later, Hohenschild became a fellow of the AIA.  In addition, he belonged to the Societe Central d’Architecture de Belgique of Brussels and the European Society of Architects.

Benton School constructed 1909

Hohenschild continued working and living in Rolla towards the end of his life.  His commissions almost exclusively consisted of county courthouses in Missouri.  After the death of his mother in 1913, Hohenschild moved to St. Louis and started a practice with Angelo Corrubia and Gale Henderson.  One of his last commissions was in 1923 for the Osage County Courthouse in Linn, Missouri.  Due to heart disease, Hohenschild quit taking commissions and lived the rest of his life at 12 Parkland Place in North St. Louis.  On January 5^th, 1928, Hohenschild accidentally fell and received abrasions on his face.  The abrasions became infected and he died the following month on February 3, 1928.  Well known across the state, Hohenschild’s obituary appeared on the front page of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

Active in politics, social organization, and writing, Hohenschild’s most profound influence was on the built environment with his architectural designs.  He designed twelve county courthouses in Missouri during his career and countless structures and buildings in at least thirteen counties.  Several of his designs are listed on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri and the Midwest.  However, his architectural contributions in Rolla have been largely forgotten even though the city contains the largest collection of his designs.  Several of Hohenschild designs have been razed in Rolla over the past fifty years.  However, many still survive and must be recognized and maintained.

Listed below are a few examples of Hohenschild's work during the course of his architectural career.

Dr. McMurtry House in Salem, Missouri constructed 1881.

Malcolm and Long Building at the corner of Eight and Pine Streets.  Razed and currently a parking lot next to Alex's Pizza.

Masonic Temple at Seventh and Pine Streets constructed in 1891.  Remodeled in 1906.

Pulaski County Courthouse in Waynesville, Missouri constructed in 1903.

Samuel H. Headlee Monument 1904.

Washington County Courthouse in Potosi, Missouri constructed 1907.

Jackling Gymnasium constructed 1915.  Razed.

Osage County Courthouse in Linn, Missouri constructed 1923