I visited Jefferson City recently, and I realized I had never really looked at the state capital outside of the capitol building. I discovered there is some great architecture, such as the building above and below, and over the next several days we’ll look at the city by street in the order I explored various neighborhoods.
There is a wide variety of architecture, from antebellum houses and storefronts along the river, to the Second Empire as you see here, to later styles up to the present day.
West Main Street is the first exist off the highway and only a couple hundred feet from the bridge that takes you across the Missouri River. It drops you right in the middle of some historic buildings rather conveniently.
Jefferson City, or what was to become that, was first chosen as the capital of Missouri in 1821, with previous locations in St. Louis and St. Charles.
West Main Street continues up to the top of the hill where the Missouri State Capitol building is located, and I must say it is one of the more impressive centers of state government in the United States.
It replaced this building, which burned down in 1911.
After passing by the Capitol grounds, the street name changes to East Capitol Avenue. I’ve never seen such a naming convention before.
Above is First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ, and then we see a stretch of houses from the Italianate to early Twentieth Century revival styles.
This house below has a long story, perhaps as a funeral home, I think.
This house has received quite the large new porch, below.
Obviously this street has some nice houses with the panoramic views of the Missouri River to the north.
This apartment building could fit in easily in St. Louis.
Moving more to the east, the neighborhood becomes more working class.
And a huge mill appears, with an indeterminate current use, perhaps as storage.
And then early Twentieth suburban style houses finish out the end of the street.
