The Ballenger Building And The Spring Underneath
On January 21, 2004, the Ballenger Building in Downtown Columbia, Missouri was placed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its long association with a series of businesses. Over 130 years old, it is located at the northwest corner of 9th Street and Cherry. In 2023, it is one of the oldest continually operating commercial buildings in Downtown Columbia and “reflects Downtown Columbia’s long history as the dominate commercial center in Mid-Missouri.” It was built in 1892 for its first tenant, G.F. Troxell Furniture, but owned by Ballenger Stove and Implement Company, likely as an investment property. It continued to host a series of furniture stores for many decades. The basement of the building was constructed over a natural spring, one of several in Downtown Columbia. The prior owner of the property was a Frenchman named Rene Butel who used the spring to operate a small bottling plant. He produced soda water, ginger ale birch beer, and other soft drinks. After the property was sold to Ballenger a bottling plant continued to take advantage of the spring and occupied the basement; it is unknown if Butel continued his business or if this was a new operation.
By 1905 a rear addition had been added to the building and a freight elevator had been installed. The building and furniture business changed ownership several times in the early 20th century. Troxell Furniture was sold to Taylor Music and Furniture Company in 1927, at the time the owner of the building was T.C. Hall, owner-operator of the popular Hall Theater across the street. The Taylor company undertook a major renovation of the building giving it the appearance it has today. They held a grand opening on September 19, 1928. The renovation added elaborate terra cotta on the buildings facade. In addition to the Ballenger Building, only three other buildings downtown have extensive terra cotta on them: the Haden Building, the Central Dairy Building, and the Hetzler Brother's Meat Market Building. The Ballenger Building, however is unique in that it has rare prism glass transoms above the second floor windows. Prism glass was popular from the 1890s to 1930s and uniquely bends daylight upwards, better lighting a room; few examples survive in Columbia.
The Taylor Music and Furniture Company occupied all three floors of the building in 1927, by 1934 they consolidated in the back part of the building facing Cherry Street. Beginning around 1933, Safeway, one of the largest grocery chains in the United States at the time, opened on the first floor facing 9th Street. They stayed until shortly after 1950. All of Columbia’s major chain grocery stores were located downtown at the time. Locally owned stores were more likely to be located in the outlying residential neighborhoods. The second floor of the Ballenger Building was rented to a variety of offices and businesses, after Safeway moved away the first floor continued to host businesses, a florist, then a restaurant. An excellent restoration occurred in the early 2000s. It has also been known as the Paramount Building after Paramount Entertainment which once had offices in the building. In 2023 the building functions much the same way as it has since it was built, as a place for commerce. The first floor is Shortwave Coffee, the rear portion is Bangkok Gardens, the basement is The Understudy bar. The second floor host offices, including the Missouri Symphony, law offices, Building Preservation LLC, and others. Building Preservation LLC is headed by architectural historian Deb Sheals who, as the author of the National Register of Historic Places form, now occupies a building she helped preserve.
The Ballenger Building from the southeast in 2013
From Wikimedia Commons taken by Grey Wanderer
The Ballenger Building circa 2003, before restoration
From the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form
Inspired by the restoration of historic buildings, our group, CoMo Preservation, hopes to help homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated, but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. The preservation of historic buildings is necessary for Columbia’s residents, students, and visitors to achieve a sense of place and, it follows, for our city’s continued economic success. If you want to join us in our mission sign up for our mailing list to receive news and updates.
Sources
Sheals, Debbie (October 2003). National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Ballenger Building. Columbia, Missouri: United State Department of the Interior. Accessed January 20, 2023.
Wikipedia contributors. (2022, October 30). Prism lighting. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 01:11, January 21, 2023.
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