2-8 W. 5th Street, (Adams Building) - Downtown Fulton Historic District - Fulton, Missouri - NRHP Historic Districts - Contributing Buildings on Waymarking.com

"2-8 W. 5th Street, (Adams Building), 1890. This three-story corner building has a chamfered (angled) entrance bay and cast iron facade (Capital Street) with a pressed tin bracketed cornice. The cast iron facade has large, original 2/2 wood windows on the first and second floor and narrow display windows on either side of the corner entrance. Small balconies protrude from the angled bay on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The long brick wall that faces 5" Street has a corbeled brick cornice and different window patterns on all three floors. The Third story windows are segmental arches with rock-faced hood moldings and smooth stone sills. A row of terra cotta in a floral motif separates the 2"" and 3rd floors. The second story windows are flat-arched with rockfaced lintels. The first story windows are small 1/1 windows with round arches and limestone keystones. [C]

The cast iron facade was made by the Scherpe-Koken Architectural Iron Works, which started in 1880 as Koken, Graydona and Co., St. Louis. The company was also known as the Enterprise Architectural Iron Works and Foundry. In 1893, the firm became the Koken Iron Works. The company is now the Banner Iron Works and deals in structural steel fabrication. The company's catalogue in 1887 listed 26 store fronts and more than 75 designs for columns. In 1895, 90 columns and more than 50 facades were illustrated.

The building has had a colorful history. It was built as an office building in 1890 by a Mr. Phil S. Adams who was, at the time, a banker in Fulton. However, shortly after the building was finished, Mr. Adams embezzled several thousand dollars from the bank, left Fulton and was never seen again. At this point, the building was purchased by a member of the Jameson family who then sold it to Harvey Clapp. Mr. Clapp's son is the current owner. The building has been used for several purposes. It has housed offices, private residences and at one time the first floor was a bowling alley. A fraternal organization, the Knights of Pythias once used the third story room as its lodge and the initials K of P are emblazoned on the roof pediment. Also, when the Delta Tau Delta social fraternity came to Westminster College in 1939 it is believed that the chapter room was also in that third floor room of the building, because their crest was painted on the wall."  ~ District National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form