St. Joseph Missouri Driving Tour

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Robidoux Row is the house of the first settler in the area, Joseph Robidoux, who founded St. Joseph. He established a fur trading business and the area soon grew into the trading town of Black Snake Hills, which eventually became St. Joseph. His house was also a series of hotel-like apartments for travelers who were waiting for their new homes to be built. Robidoux Row is now a museum that explores the history of St. Joseph and westward expansion. Many of Robidoux's personal items are on display and rooms have been restored to their 19th-century appearance. The building is also the location of the St. Joseph Historical Society.

2. John D. Richardson Dry Goods Co.

This seven-story building was completed in 1892 for the John D. Richardson Dry Goods Company, a firm operated by ohn D. Richardson and his partner John Brittain. The company produced and sold goods throughout the region and experienced growth at the turn-of-the century that lasted until the late 1920s. The company went out of business in the 1930s and the building later became home to the American Electric Company.

3. Buchanan County Courthouse

The Buchanan County Courthouse was erected in 1873 and holds significance as the only cruciform, Renaissance Revival courthouse in the state. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is also Missouri's second-largest courthouse, after the St. Louis Courthouse. The building features many artistic elements including a dome, large Corinthian columns, and porticos. The courthouse is also notable for being the site of the trial of Robert Ford, the man who killed infamous outlaw, Jesse James in April 1882 (see below for more details).

4. Missouri Valley Trust Company

Though this building is no longer being used, the Missouri Valley Trust Co. is what is left of the early commercial center in St. Joseph MO. Originally the Missouri Valley Trust Co. was called the Bank of the State of Missouri. The commercial area in which the bank was located was fueled by people coming into St. Joseph as they moved westward. The bank boasts the title of the oldest bank in St. Joseph, as well as the oldest west of the Mississippi.

5. Missouri Theater

The Missouri Theater is located at 717 Edmond Street in Downtown Saint Joseph. Alongside the Robidoux Resident Theatre, it is one of two performance theater venues operating within the community. Whether hosting symphonies, operas, musicals, concerts, or pageants, the Missouri Theater is the premier center for the performing arts. The theater is ADA compliant and has a seating capacity of 1,200.The Missouri Theater was built in 1927 and is an excellent example of a Great Depression-era movie palace. Its design combines Art Deco and Moorish Revival architecture. The exterior features blue and red tiling, a large Moorish arch in the center and several smaller arches, and four Art Deco piers. The interior can be described as "atmospheric," with Persian motifs and a tent-like canopy hanging from the ceiling. Directly adjoining the theater is a two-story building that was constructed after the theater; both were finished by the time of the grand opening on July 25, 1927. The two buildings were added, together, to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

6. Pony Express Memorial

Few images are a more iconic representation of St. Joseph than the Pony Express monument. The intrepid rider and his horse galloping westward is found on countless post cards. If you are looking for the perfect place to take a picture in St. Joseph – this is it! Located in a small triangle at the intersection of Francis and 10th Streets is a memorial to the Pony Express, which was a mail delivery service that operated from April 3, 1860 to October 1861. Mail was carried by men riding fast horses on a route that began here in St. Joseph and ended in Sacramento, California. The memorial consists of a large bronze sculpture of a rider on his horse atop a stone base inscribed with the words "The Pony Express." Artist Hermon A. MacNeil created the sculpture. The memorial is surrounded by a short metal fence and there is a bench for people for people to sit on. The memorial was dedicated on April 20, 1940, the 80th anniversary of the Pony Express.

7. St. Joseph City Hall

Constructed in 1927 in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, St. Joseph City Hall stands prominently in the heart of the city, overlooking Civic Center Park. It is not only significant for its architecture but also for the fact that it is representative of the city's prosperity during the 1920s—before the start of the Great Depression in 1929. The building was designed by several architects and features large columns, arches, and balustrades. As such, it is one of the grandest buildings in the city. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places 1985.

8. Wyeth Tootle Mansion

St. Joseph is known for an extensive collection of beautiful mansions built around the turn of the century, and the Wyeth Tootle Mansion at the corner of Eleventh and Charles Streets is a prime example. With three floors, a tower and more than 40 rooms, it stands today as one of the best examples of St. Joseph’s late 19th-century wealth and opulence, featuring stunning woodwork, hand-painted ceilings and imported stained glass.

9. Central Police Station

Originally built in 1891, the former Central Police Station is historically significant for its Romanesque architecture and the role it played in shaping local law enforcement from the turn-of-the-century to 1939, at which point a new police station was built. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009, it was for a time the location of the National Military Heritage Museum, which closed in 2016. It is not clear whether the museum has moved to a new building.

10. Burnside-Sandusky Gothic House

Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005, the Burnside-Sandusky Gothic House is among the more unique homes in St. Joseph. It is notable as a fine example of Gothic architecture, which is rarely seen in private residences. It is named after its first owner and builder, businessman John Burnside, and second owner, a gentleman by the name of Mr. Sandusky. Burnside, who was a machine and Blacksmith by trade, built the home in 1871. Mr. Sandusky (his first name is not readily available) made a living as a wholesale dealer. More recently, the house operated as a tea and eatery until it closed in 2016. The current status of the home is unknown.

11. Pony Express National Museum

The Pony Express was a mail relay system that started in St. Joseph, MO. and ended in Sacramento, CA. Riders would carry the mail on horseback, stopping at relay stations for meals and a change of horses. The Pony Express started in 1860 but was shut down after the completion of the transcontinental telegraph lines in 1861. The Pony Express Museum is in the original building where the riders would start their journey west. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. The museum, which was founded in the 1950s, features a number of exhibits that explore the history and legacy of the Pony Express.

12. Patee House Museum

Two things for which St. Joseph enjoys historical significance are its role as a Pony Express launch point and the city where a gunshot ended Jesse James' life. The Patee House, which sits adjacent to the James Home and Museum, opened as a luxurious 140-room hotel that served as the Pony Express Missouri No. 2 Eastern Headquarters two years after it opened in 1858. John Patee built the lavish hotel that quickly earned a reputation as the most luxurious hotel west of the Mississippi River. The hotel arose as part of an entire community planned by Patee, intended to compete with the downtown area. However, the Civil War and other factors thwarted that dream. After the war, the building served numerous functions, including a women's college, hotel, shirt factory, and lastly, a museum.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

St. Joseph Missouri Driving Tour

Created by Clio Admin on February 10th 2019, 12:55:19 pm.

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Description

This walking tour begins at the Patee House Museum and Jesse James House and the nearby Pony Express National Museum. The tour includes several museums as well as historic buildings and monuments. Highlights of the tour include the Missouri Theatre, the Pony Express Mansion, and Wyeth Tootle Mansion. Be sure to also visit the St. Joseph Museums Complex and Albrecht-Kemper Museum of Art which are located about two miles west of the final stop on this tour.

Entries on This Tour

St. Joseph Missouri Driving Tour

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