Historic building and district recognized

Egyptian-style architecture

Yesterday morning the Kirksville Historic Preservation Commission (KHPC) presented certificates to the Masonic Temple and the owners of some buildings on the north side of the square – Kirksville’s first historic district. There are great stories about the event on KTVO and the Kirksville Daily Express that detail what this means.

The KHPC formed only last year and is already making great steps forward. Thanks to a grant, they were able to commission an expert survey of the downtown area for potential historic properties. The results should be coming in soon and a similar survey of the entire city will follow shortly thereafter, thanks to a second grant.

The event was emceed by Lynn Daniels, the brand new Executive Director of the Kirksville Downtown Improvement Committee. Thanks to DREAM, we were able to receive another grant to fund this full-time position. One of Lynn’s charges is to find a source of continuous funding for the position. Her job is to be an advocate for the downtown, bringing together the property and business owners, city & county governments, citizens, tourism, KDIC and other parties with a stake in downtown revitalization to work together to improve commerce in the area. She’s in her first month and already hitting the streets to meet people and make plans.

Anyway, the turnout was great. Thank you to all who were able to attend. For more info, you can also check out the Frequently Asked Questions that I put together for the event, which details how and why the Kirksville Courthouse Square Historic District came to be.