Connor Hotel (Joplin, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Joplin Connor Hotel
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 324 Main St., Joplin, Missouri |
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| Area | 9.9 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1906-1907 |
| Architect | Barnett, Haynes & Barnett |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001042 |
| Added to NRHP | February 28, 1973 |
The Connor Hotel was a grand building located at 324 Main Street in Joplin, Missouri. It was designed in a fancy style called Beaux-Arts architecture. The hotel was built between 1906 and 1908. It became very well-known across the country. This was especially true after it suddenly collapsed in 1978.
Building the Connor Hotel
The idea for the Connor Hotel came from Thomas Connor. He was a very rich man from Joplin in the early 1900s. Before this hotel, Mr. Connor owned a different one. It was called the Joplin Hotel. That hotel had three stories and about 50 rooms. It stood exactly where the new Connor Hotel would later be built.
People thought Mr. Connor would just make the Joplin Hotel bigger. But in 1906, he decided to tear it down instead. He wanted to build a brand new, much larger hotel. Construction on the new building started right away. It was first going to be named the Joplin Hotel, just like the old one.
Sadly, Thomas Connor passed away in 1907 at 60 years old. When the new hotel finally opened its doors in 1908, it was given a new name. It was called the Connor Hotel, in memory of its founder, Thomas Connor.
The Hotel's Collapse
The Connor Hotel stood for many years. By November 1978, it was planned to be torn down. But one day before its scheduled demolition, something unexpected happened. The hotel suddenly collapsed. Three workers were inside the building at the time.
Two of the workers, Thomas Oaks and Frederick Coe, were lost in the collapse. The third worker, Alfred Sommers, was trapped. Rescue teams worked hard to find him. Amazingly, Alfred Sommers was rescued 82 hours after the building fell.
