Welcome Home
In celebration of historic preservation and Missouri Main Street Connection’s 20th anniversary, Missouri Main Street Connection launched the “Welcome Home” door photo contest to create a poster featuring the elegant and intricate doors in Missouri. These doors have welcomed many people into their homes, places of work, local shops, and more. They make an unconscious first impression on each building we enter. We imagine each time they say “Welcome” as someone enters through their doorway. In Missouri, countless unique and memorable doors still stand in historic buildings just as they have since their installation, serving the same purpose to greet guests with their unique, historic details.
The “Welcome Home” door photo contest provided an opportunity for community members to do the talking for these doors that witnessed mundane and significant events such as a shop owners cutting the ribbon on their first day open for business.
Missouri Main Street Connection thanks everyone who participated in the two rounds of the “Welcome Home” door photo contest. Between the two rounds, there were over 30 submissions. View the doors submitted by individuals in 2024 between the two rounds and read the stories that were submitted with them. You can also view the winners who are featured on the 2025 “Doors to the Past” poster.
For the past two years Henderson Hall has been the featured location for high school proms, weddings, and other events. This distinct building in our community has faithfully stood and witnessed eternal love and youthful fun.
Three downtown Campbell historic buildings still boast significant vaults from 1900's banks, such as this one in Hill Rentals at the corner of Grand and Ash. All is very "safe" in Campbell.
The Bollinger County Library is located in and serves Marble Hill, Missouri. The library is housed in the historic Will Mayfield College Arts and Science Building which was designed in 1924 by architect L. Baylor Pendleton in the Classical Revival style and opened for classes in 1927. The Will Mayfield College was founded in 1878 emphasizing academic courses for high school students, religious education, and teacher training. Attendance at the college peaked in the 1920s, facilitating the need for expansion through the construction of the Arts and Science Building. Prior to the library, the building housed the Bollinger County Museum of Natural History, home of the Missouri state dinosaur - Parrosaurus missouriensis - a duck-billed dinosaur discovered in nearby Glen Allen, Missouri.
Located in the quaint town of Kimmswick stands the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, a cornerstone that helped put Kimmswick on the national map with its Levee High Carmel Apple Pie. This pie got the attention of Oprah Winfrey years ago and she included it in her magazine as one of her favorite things. The Blue Owl is 36 years old but the building goes back longer. The building and Kimmswick has endured many potential disasters from floods to pandemics. The flood of '93 is what birthed the pie as it honored the labor that went into protecting the town via the levee. I entered the blue double doors of the Blue Owl and walked out of them with my first job ever, which I held for roughly 4 1/2 years. This restaurant is more than just a restaurant to me it is a place I shared memories with coworkers I worked with for years over summers and over the weekend during the school year.
This door at the center of our farming community, marks the heart of our small town. Miles away on the top of the hill, I see this building, welcoming me back to my hometown. I am filled with gratitude.
This door belongs to St. Francis Borgia Church which has been in our community since 1834. We are ecstatic to have this door in downtown along with other historic architectural details in our district
Here at Grace Episcopal Church in Carthage, Missouri, I was asked to design new classroom and fellowship space as an addition to this building. The original building was constructed of the world famous “Carthage limestone.” The cornerstone was laid in 1889, making this the oldest public building in Carthage made of this local material. As an architect working with hundreds of churches across the country, one common design effort was to include a prominent entrance to the building so that all who come could easily find the best place to enter the facility. I believe that this door, classically framed in proud Carthage stone and painted a brilliant red, says “Welcome Home” to all.
The Hall of Waters is the most iconic building in Excelsior Springs due to its unique building profile and architectural style. The building has art deco components with Mayan and Aztec decorations throughout. It was built as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project and housed the water bar (serving 10 different healing mineral waters), men's and women's spas, an indoor pool filled with mineral water, and a mineral water bottling facility. Today, it houses some of the city's administrative offices, the Main Street office, visitor center, and a small mineral water museum. The city has been focusing on the preservation of the building as it is falling into disrepair.
The Historic Post Office is now a privately owned, multi-use venue located within the Courthouse Square Historic District in West Plains. It was constructed in 1931 as a Public Works Project, built over the spring around which the town was founded, one block east of Court Square. The spring still flows under the facility, with a viewing window in the floor of the downstairs. The building was originally constructed to serve as the West Plains Post Office and later was the public library for many years. I checked out many books there when I was a little girl. It has been central to the town's history in multiple ways, including that Sheriff C. Roy Kelly had just stepped out of the newly opened post office on December 19, 1931, before he crossed the street to confront members of the Ma Barker gang, suspected of several local robberies. He was murdered in cold blood by gang member Alvin Karpis just on the other side of this doorway. While that is a sad chapter in our town’s history, it is only one connection to this historic doorway which opened up a world of learning and letters to several generations.
This is the door at Old St. Vincent's Church in Cape Girardeau. The first St. Vincent's Church, constructed in 1838 was destroyed by a tornado in 1850. Re-built a year later, the foundation of this present English Gothic Church is stone form the original building. It sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. Declared a Chapel of Ease in 1977, Old St. Vincent's Church was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a Cape Girardeau Historic Landmark. These doors welcome parishoners and guests for Sunday Mass, weddings, and funerals.
This building was built in 1927 on historic Route 66, just a few blocks from my home in Joplin. It was originally built as a multi-use building, with stores on the main floor, apartment above on the north, and a movie theater (Joplin Little Theater, reportedly) on the south with balcony seating above. A quick look at Google Earth reveals the arched roof that originally spanned the large theater space, now converted to additional apartments. Several years ago, the boss of the firm I was working for investigated moving our architectural office into this building; sadly the numbers did not work out. It would have been fun working in this neat old building so close to home. The photograph is a door to one of the retail spaces.
Welcome to the Marceline Carnegie Library! These doors have welcomed visitors to the library for 104 years. They are the gateway to anywhere. They inspire us to explore and to fuel our imaginations. Many generations have crossed that magical threshold to the library; inspiring to change their lives forever. This is where the adventure begins.
About 35 years ago, my wife and I moved into a classic American Four-Square home that was built in 1902 just a block from the historic Route 66 in a historic neighborhood in Joplin, Missouri. This “NTIQUE” shop on the square in Carthage, MO on historic Route 66 is probably filled with items just as old as our home. In my search for interesting doors in historic areas of Missouri towns, I discovered that a large majority of buildings have been “updated” and are now sporting modern, glass and aluminum doors and have lost much of the historic appeal and character of the original entrance. This shop maintains the integrity of the original building with this handsome door.
Since 2002, I have visited the Branson/Hollister area to see my retired parents often, driving past the Ye Olde English Inn on my way through town. The building has always fascinated me since it is an old English Inn in Missouri. Now that I live in the Branson/Hollister area, I have patronized the restaurant inside with friends and coworkers and learned why it is an old English Inn. The Old English Inn is a result of local statutes requiring all buildings within the Front Street business district to be in the Old English style. Because of its uniqueness in the region, it attracted many celebrities and public figures to lodge there during their vacations, and according to legends Harry S. Truman, Cary Grant, Bing Crosby, and Clark Gable were among its guests.
The stunning DeBaliviere Building was designed in 1928 by Isadore Shank and is located at the corner of DeBaliviere Avenue and Delmar Boulevard in St. Louis. Though the façade has fallen into a bit of disrepair in recent years, the gorgeous Art Deco terra cotta details that adorn much of the building are still mostly intact. My reflection is captured in the main door of the Delmar entry to the building - obscured by shattered glass.
Rough back doors show the perseverance of Chillicotheans. Life for this building began in 1917. After the top floors burned in 1927, they were merely lopped off. Nothing keeps us down.
This photo was taken of the Rust Media Building in downtown Cape Girardeau. It was built in 1924–1925, and is a two-story, white stucco and red brick Mission Revival style building.
Saults Drug Store has been a full service family owned pharmacy since 1937. As the only independent drug store in Callaway County, Saults prides itself on fast, convenient, and friendly service. Customers can also relax in the old fashion soda fountain with a cup of coffee or enjoy a cold treat made with Central Dairy ice cream. The old fashion soda fountain serves a variety of milkshakes, malts, smoothies, floats, phosphates, banana splits, sundaes, ice cream sodas, and much more. Saults Drug Store's unique gift department offers home and garden decor, wine holders and accessories, and greeting cards. This multi-generation drug store is an anchor business and staple in downtown Fulton. You can feel the history just walking through the door.
Riverside Pottery is located in the former B'Nai Israel Synagogue. Built in 1937, this historic Jewish synagogue was designed by St. Louis architect, Thomas P. Barnett Jr.
The Midland, located in downtown Kansas City, was first opened on October 28th, 1927 and was the third largest theater in the United States at the time. On the morning of the opening, the line to the box office spanned several blocks and all four thousand seats in the auditorium were sold out for the very first showing in "America's Most Magnificent Theater", seen on the marquee lit up by over three thousand light bulbs. The Midland was the centerpiece of the city and cost a mere $4.5 million to build. The theater showcased the silent film "The Road to Romance", accompanied by Midland's Grand Orchestra. Even today, as eager attendees enter the lush and ornate environment, they are greeted with more than five hundred thousand feet of gold leaf, five giant Czechoslovakian crystal chandeliers, walls decorated with irreplaceable imported artwork, and spectacular wood and plaster work. The front doors perfectly showcase the Art Deco style with the beautiful marquee and open to a fully functioning theater.
The Missouri Peoples' House, the Missouri State Capitol building that stands today, is the third version of the building which broke ground for construction on May 6th, 1913. The building cost nearly $3 million in 1913, which is estimated to be $95 million today. The doors are original to the first construction of the Missouri Peoples' House. Measuring thirteen by eight feet and weighing just under eight thousand pounds per door, these doors are completely operational and a trademark that stands true from the beginnings of the structure. Missouri's State Capitol is often referred to as Missouri Peoples' House as many citizens of the state pass through the doors which open to partnership, politics, and public service. Those passing through the doors are eager to make a difference in the lives of Missourians. These doors represent Missouri's peoples' history, the freedom to have a voice, to support legislation, and to partner for change. This is your front door to Missouri, never underestimate your voice to be heard in Missouri Peoples' House.
The People's Theater is an iconic buildings in historic Pleasant Hill. Built in 1909, it was the main source of news, entertainment and socializing. Walking through those doors carries you back in time
This is the front doorway of a historic Main Street building in Ironton. It is located at 112 South Main Street. It is a very nice preserved example of the brick store fronts that lead down the street to the historic Iron County Courthouse, a survivor of the American civil war in the 1860's.
Not all business doors look the same in Missouri. At this family farm, generations have waltzed in and out of this door letting in a refreshing Missouri breeze or the dust from the gravel road. Countless times this door has opened, both to happy occasions and sorrow, from feeding workers during the harvest or welcoming new neighbors to failed crops or farm accidents. Like every door this one needs a little tender loving care to maintain its identity from an initial on a door may be repainted as it weathers and fades overtime from the elements to a new screens and a squirt of WD-40 helps with the squeaking. Yet, even with care, unfortunately, doors close for good. But when God closes a door, he always opens a window. Family farm doors change, but the legacy lives on.
This doorway was the first to welcome my family as we unloaded my belongings during my first day at College of the Ozarks, like it does for many others that have or will attend the college in the future. As a transfer student, I would live here for only a semester before moving to other dorms, yet it was the first place I had lived other than my childhood home of 21 years. It remains a special place to me as one that allowed me to become more independent than I already was and start my time at College of the Ozarks.
The historic buildings of Point Lookout, MO stand tall and have new uses as the campus and world changes around it. The historic exteriors greet students each year inside for classroom space, workstations, and more. Though cramped and sometimes in need of interior updates, including HVAC, the professors impart knowledge for the mind and soul of their students during their lectures within the walls of the historic buildings of College of the Ozark.
ENTER TO WORSHIP; LEAVE TO SERVE are the words etched into the red stained-glass panels of the oak sanctuary doors that welcome all who enter and remind those who leave Marceline United Methodist Church on the corner of North Kansas and Santa Fe. The church was the first to be built in the small rural farming community of Marceline, MO. The deed was acquired in 1910, the cornerstone set in 1911, and the structure dedicated on March 24, 1912. This corner church has weathered many disasters from an attic fire and basement flood to a tornado that damaged the stained-glass windows and bell tower. Through it all, the church still stands as a beacon for all to ENTER TO WORSHIP; LEAVE TO SERVE.
Mules marched from their stables through this iconic, arched opening onto College Street where buyers from as far away as France bought them one by one. These Mules were no ordinary Mules but world-famous Missouri Red Mules, which were thought to be the strongest, most reliable draft mules. The Mule's reputation and Jones Brothers Mule Barn's notoriety of the largest supplier of mules in the world is why buyers came from near and far paying an unheard amount of $200 a head. Following the decline of the Mule industry, this building would come into the hands of the Cassingham family and welcome people inside to the Cassingham’s True Value Hardware Store. Now it is onto new ownership and awaits a new purpose from Jason Elkins. Today you can find the saying, “Through These Portals Passed the Meanest Mules on Earth” on the doors to the large arched opening as a homage to its history as the location that possibly had the most mules to pass through than any other location in the US.
The intricate carvings and striking stained glass work of the ornate front door of the residential Victorian cottage in Fulton, MO welcomes its guests into one of three residential properties designed and built by Fulton resident and nationally renowned architect General Morris Frederick (M. F.) Bell in the 1890s. All three cottages boast exquisite millwork and era architecture, but it's their vantage point that steals the show. General Bell's family home is located next door to the East, while Bell's building and day job--the Fulton Telephone Exchange-- was located three blocks to the West in the historic commercial district. Bell designed the three cottages with staggered setbacks from the street as to not block his view of downtown from his porch.
The main red entry doors to St. Jude's Episcopal Church in Monroe City, MO welcome people inside to use the church's features as back drops for prom and school dance photos and weddings. The Shively's, a local family, were married in this church in the spring of 2024. Originally built in 1877, it is a remarkable church with a Limestone finish with crenellation, stepped buttresses, and lancet stained windows.
This is one of the doorways to a building within the former Lemp Brewery complex. Over the years, Jason has spent more than 40 hours documenting the property, which is actively managed. For him, the Lemp Brewery represents the golden era of St. Louis, when brewing industrialists fought each other for supremacy within the region, and in some cases, nationally. The cave that exists underneath the Brewery and its myriad other labyrinthine, underground corridors, which he has also explored, are likewise emblematic to a city defined by them.
A moment in history of the former St. Augustine's Church in north St. Louis. This Gothic Revival church was a colossal and shining example of the Gothic Revival style, which was once one of the favorite styles for church construction in the St. Louis, though there are few that remain perfectly intact today. Following a failed grassroots effort to save the vacant St. Augustine in 2020 and string of suspicious fires, all but the Church's tower were razed. The church stands, though in a destitute state, as a lesson that any historic buildings without the preservation offered by a dedicated community is bound for a certain (and unfortunate) fate. Though in shambles with more details degrading the front entrance has been used by artist to showcase their artwork.
Over 150 years ago, a gentleman came with gold in his saddlebags from Kentucky to the “Wild West”—Gallatin, Missouri. He wanted to help build a church in this new community in Northwest Missouri. With his gold, he purchased the lumber to build the sturdy doors and walnut pews inside Lick Fork Baptist Church. These doors are not fancy, and the steps are starting to crack, but they have stood the test of time in a rural community where church and families are the town's backbone. My family is one of those touched by these doors. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents, uncles, aunts, and my older brother all rest outside to the south of these doors. I find comfort in realizing that doors like these have welcomed all people since 1869 and are a comforting reminder of how comfort and strength can be found behind them. These doors remind us that all doors, whether ornate or plain, should always welcome everyone. Submitted by Anne Foley Rauth, great, great-granddaughter of the Kentucky horseman