WELCOME HOME

Thank You,​

Missouri Main Street Connection thanks everyone who participated in the “Welcome Home” door contest. We featured over 20 semifinalist during Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization in the “Welcome Home” Gallery. Six were selected to be included in the “Welcome Home” Poster for Preservation Month 2025.

Following the feedback MMSC received from community members following the closing of the “Welcome Home” door contest and the “Welcome Home” Gallery at Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference, the contest has been opened for an additional round. In this additional round, ten more photos will be selected from the submission and included in the poster for Preservation Month 2025.

Welcome Home - Round 1​

In celebration of historic preservation, Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) launched the “Welcome Home” door contest to create a poster featuring the elegant and intricate doors in Missouri. Through the first round , MMSC learned about the stories behind many of Missouri’s historic doors. Round one closed on May 31st at the end of Preservation Month 2024 receiving over 20 submissions from across the state. During Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference in Kansas City, attendees selected six doors as winners who will be featured in the “Welcome Home” poster for Preservation Month 2025.

We invite you to participate in the additional round of the contest for a chance for your community and photo to be included in our “Welcome Home” poster and “Memories on Main Street” publication.

View the Semifinalists featured in the "Welcome Home" Gallery

Welcome Home - Round 2

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. This additional round allows you to submit doors from your community and their story to MMSC.

We are excited to continue learning and sharing the stories behind the doors that you submit! If only these doors could talk about the mundane and significant events that happened around them. From the many memories made, the shop owners cutting the ribbon on their first day open for business, the important news delivered by Pony Express and private meetings; Missouri is a special place full of stories to be shared. We can connect to the people, events, and culture that have shaped our Missouri communities through the memories and stories that are in our hearts and in the physical locations that persevere.

We invite you to participate in this additional round of the “Welcome Home” photography contest for a chance for your community and photo to be included in our “Welcome Home” poster and “Memories on Main Street” publication.

Preservation Month Activity - Historic Doors

How to Participate:

  1. Visit a historic commercial district. See our map of communities that have Main Street designations to know where to start. Submissions are not limited to Main Street communities.
  2. Take a photo of a unique, historic door or find a stunning picture you have in your camera roll from a previous visit to a historic commercial district in Missouri. Remember a door can be historic if it is 50 years or older.
  3. Submit the photo, a short description, reflection on why this door is meaningful to you or the community, or story behind the door, and your contact information through our contest form on our website between August 9th through November 2nd.
  4. MMSC will review submissions and notify the ten winners to be included on the Preservation Month 2025 “Welcome Home” poster with the six winners from the Missouri’s Premier Downtown Revitalization Conference by early-January. All winners will be featured during our Capitol Day in January 2025.

Submission Details

Each submission should be focused on a historic, architecturally unique, or meaningful door in a historic commercial district in Missouri. Additionally, each submission should include a short bio statement with mention of your connection to Missouri and a narrative that will serve as the foundation for a caption for the judges to learn more about why this photo was submitted.

We are curious about the connections between historic places and the human experience with a specific emphasis on Missouri’s historic
commercial district’s role.

AI Clause: Missouri Main Street Connection seeks submissions that express the memories and emotions that are unique to each person’s human experience, and therefore only original human creative works will be accepted. The use of AI is strictly prohibited. If your submission is found to violate this policy, any submission by the offender will be disqualified and be denied from inclusion in the gallery, poster, and publication. Spellcheck and grammar tools on your finished description is not AI and is allowed.

Intellectual Property: By submitting to Missouri Main Street Connection’s for the “Welcome Home” contest, you grant MMSC publishing rights in perpetuity for the materials included in the submission. You will retain the copyright for your contributions.

Questions: Contact Logan at logan@momainstreet.org