Newman Brothers Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Newman Brothers Building
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Missouri
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| Location | 602-608 S. Main St., Joplin, Missouri 37°5′7″N 94°30′45″W |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1910 |
| Architect | Allen, Austin |
| Architectural style | Chicago |
| NRHP reference No. | 90001101 |
| Added to NRHP | July 23, 1990 |
The Newman Brothers Building is a historic building in Joplin, Missouri. It was once a very popular department store called Newman's. The store was open in this building from 1910 until 1972.
In 1990, the building became part of the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important place in history. Today, the building is used for offices by the city of Joplin. You can find it in the Joplin Downtown Historic District.
The Building's Story
How Newman's Store Began
The Newman Mercantile Company was started by Joseph Newman. He was a merchant who came from Germany in the mid-1800s. He opened his first store in 1850. Later, in 1871, he started Newman Mercantile in Pierce City, Missouri.
Joseph Newman's son, Albert, and his son-in-law, Gabe Newburger, opened the first Newman's store in Joplin in 1898. Joseph Newman wanted to make the Joplin store even bigger. So, in 1907, he bought land at 6th and Main streets.
Building a New Store
Local architect Austin Allen was chosen to design the new building. It was planned to be a tall department store that covered a whole city block. The new Newman Brothers Building opened on November 16, 1910. It was very modern for its time. It was the first building in Joplin to have elevators and electricity!
Changes Over Time
After many years, the Newman Brothers store moved out of this building in 1972. They moved to the new Northpark Mall. After Newman's left, the building was used for different things. For a while, it housed the Messenger Book Store.
In 1989, a person named Kenny Cox ran a teen club called the Boulevard in the building. At that time, the city wanted to tear down the building. But Kenny Cox worked to save it.
The building was later restored and updated in 1995. This big project cost 5 million dollars. Then, in 2003, the City of Joplin bought the building. They spent another 3 million dollars to make more improvements.
