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Discover Mid-America — May 2006
Historic homes driving tour
Prowling the country towns of Mid-America is rewarding. Many of the old houses and commercial buildings are “living museums” of antebellum and Victorian architecture.
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A notable example is Plattsburg, MO, county seat of Clinton County. Located 30 miles north of Kansas City, the town is 10 miles west of I-35 and six miles east of Highway 69 on Highway 116. Current population is about 2,200.
Linda Stotts, director of the local Chamber of Commerce, said that Plattsburg makes an excellent daytrip. “We have three nice restaurants, several unique shops, and a new antique mall opening May 1,” she said.
Stotts said a recent $400,000 state grant is being used to preserve much of Plattsburg’s historic downtown. “Sidewalks and streets are being restored, with old-time lamp-posts and cobblestones. Above ground electrical wires are being taken down and replaced underground, and new park areas are being built. The changes are expected to be finished in July.”
Plattsburg was first settled in 1833 and incorporated two years later. Antebellum homes survive, along with classic Victorians built in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The chamber offers folders with a suggested free driving tour to see the historic beauties from curbside.
The tour begins in front of the courthouse on Main. There stands a bronze statue of David Rice Atchison, noted for being “President for one day” when Zachary Taylor refused to take the oath of office on a Sunday in 1849.
Nearby, at 412 West Maple, is the oldest public building in Plattsburg. Built in 1859, it was a Methodist Church and later used as a hiding place for Northern sympathizers. In 1862, it served as a field hospital.
An antebellum house on 608 West Maple dates from the early 1860s. Thomas McMichael came to Plattsburg in 1841, and built the house with brick fired on the property.
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At the end of Maple, a left turn puts one on Broadway. Two “painted ladies” — colorful Victorian homes — are at 810 and 200. The latter was built in 1908 and owned by a local pharmacist.
From Broadway, turn onto Main then turn right to a blinking light, and then right again on Clay Avenue. An Eastlake house at 203 West Clay was built in 1883 by M. J. Trimble, for whom the village of Trimble was named.
At 500 West Clay is the home of J. Breckenridge Ellis, son of the owner of Plattsburg College. In the Turret Room, Ellis wrote several novels, some of which were made into movies.
The Queen Anne home at 517 West Clay was built in the 1890s. A distinctive feature is the cupola with a small children’s room.
At 601 West Clay is a home built at a cost of $1,500 by Thomas Swann, who added the second floor in 1909. Another at 605 West Clay has been restored to its 1890s beauty — a fine example of a painted lady. At 615 stands a “Steamboat Gothic” home built in 1910 by Patrick O’Malley, owner of the local sawmill.
From Clay, turn left onto 8th Street, then go to Riley and turn left again. At 700 West Riley is a house built in 1908. The gingerbread trim on the home at 614 makes this Victorian notable.
Turning right on Birch, four historic houses can be seen. The Riley-Carmack House and Museum at 304 South Birch was built in 1889. It was a family home until the Plattsburg Historical Society acquired it in 1968.
The stone house at 406 South Birch was built in 1918 and has been in the same family ever since. The rock used to build it was quarried locally.
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The house at 500 South Birch was known as the “haunted house” for many years, and later as the “lion house” for its stone lions. It serves overnight guests as the Pink Rosebud Bed & Breakfast.
A house at 506 South Birch was built in 1838. During the Civil War it served as a doctor’s quarters. Soldiers from both North and South were treated here.
The tour ends by turning around at the City Park and returning to Clay Avenue, then turning right. Visitors can find other items of interest in Plattsburg, including gift and antique shops, restaurants and bed & breakfast inns.
Several 2006 events showcase Plattsburg. A car show is set for May 27. The circus comes to town Sept. 7. A Fall Festival is planned Oct. 5-7 with a carnival and parade. The Artist Coalition Art Show is set for Nov. 3-5, and the popular Christmas Homes Tour is Dec. 2.
For details, call the Chamber of Commerce at 816-539-2649 or visit www.plattsburgchamber.com.
Ken Weyand can be reached at kweyand1@kc.rr.com
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