Cape Girardeau's Original Treasures
Original Treasures is a yard sign program that recognizes historic buildings that have been preserved. To be eligible for Original Treasures, a building must be at least 50 years old, feature a unique architectural design or represent a vernacular style, and has been maintained in a manner that retains its architectural integrity.
The first Original Treasure property of 2024 is the Indie House at 605 Broadway.
605 Broadway, also known as the Indie House, was built in 1891 for William Coerver. This house is a part of the Broadway Historic District and was built in the Queen Anne Style. The building is clad in red brick which has been laid in the common bond with Flemish headers. Its beautiful, hipped roof is made of decorative tiles and is quite irregular, which is a defining feature of many Queen Anne-style buildings.
The façade of the building also stands out for its asymmetrical nature, which is another common theme of the Queen Anne style. The Indie House retains its original porch, along with many of its original sash windows and arched brickwork. The building was built on a sandstone foundation.
William Coerver was the original owner of the Indie House and was a druggist in Cape Girardeau for over 50 years. He also served as mayor for two non-consecutive terms between the years 1885-1901 and 1905-1907. In 1916, the house was purchased by Dr. G.B. Schulz. Dr. Schulz and his wife Alice, who was a registered nurse, operated a private hospital known as the Schulz Surgical Hospital out of their home from 1923 to 1927. This small hospital housed 14 beds and treated 840 patients during its four years of operation. The Schulz Surgical Hospital was closed after the opening of Southeast Missouri Hospital in 1928.
Since then, the Indie House has been occupied as a private residence, a photography business, and a coffee shop. Now it is the home of The Indie House Creative Spaces, which offers collaborative retail spaces.
The second Original Treasure property of 2024 is 1427 William.
1427 William Street is a fantastic example of an American Four-Square house. This house was built in 1904-1906 by Oscar Hirsch's (founder of Hirsch Radio which later became KFVS-12) aunt and uncle. The American Four-Square was meant as a reaction to mass-produced and ornate elements of other popular architectural styles of this time such as Victorian or Queen Anne. An American Four-Square was supposed to be more "honest" and handcrafted.
Cape Girardeau has many American Four-Square buildings, and 1427 William is an excellent example of one. The hallmarks of the style include a square, boxy design, two-and-one-half stories high, usually with four large, boxy rooms to a floor (except for the attic floor, which typically has only one or two rooms), a central dormer, and a front porch with a decorative entrance.
The next Original Treasure is 1150 N Henderson.
Located at 1150 North Henderson, just northwest of Southeast Missouri State University, is the Dr. Jean Chapman house. Chapman was a physician here in Cape Girardeau. He commissioned John L.E. Boardman, a well-known local architect and artist, to design a house for him and his wife. The house was completed in 1960 and is an excellent example of mid-century architecture with strong Wrightian influences. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016.
Boardman's architectural plan for the Chapman house reflects many aspects typical of mid-century design. The house is set back 50 feet from the street and in the front there is a semi-circular driveway. The home is sited in a wooded area, on a lot that is steeply sloped. The exterior masonry is almost entirely original Ste. Genevieve, MO limestone and this material continues to be featured in the interior. Mid-century houses often featured a flat roof and clerestory windows; the Chapman house has a cantilevered roof with a slight pitch in the center that allows for clerestory windows at either end along with central clerestory over the stairwell. Inside there is frequent use of many natural materials such as wood walls and slate for the flooring. The house contains a large stone fireplace located on the main floor with a high, slightly vaulted ceiling with exposed wood accents, as well as an open floor plan which is another defining feature of mid-century houses.
The arts were fundamental to Dr. Chapman's life, as a patron and as an avocation. His house, as realized by John Boardman, reflects his and the architect's lifeline immersion in the arts.