2-8 W. 5th Street, (Adams Building) - Downtown Fulton Historic District - Fulton, Missouri
Posted by: BruceS
N 38° 50.836 W 091° 56.886
15S E 591282 N 4300353
Historic commercial building in the Downtown Fulton Historic District.
Waymark Code: WM3RRZ
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/12/2008
Views: 12
"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