Located at the southwest corner of Main and Seventh Streets, in downtown Joplin, Missouri, the Joplin Furniture Company Building is a four-story bearing wall brick masonry building in the Classical Revival style. Based on designs by Joplin Architect August C. Michaelis, the structure evolved from separate but adjacent two and three story buildings completed at 702-704 and 706-708 South Main Street in 1899 and 1906 respectively. Shortly after occupying the three floors of 706-708 South Main in 1906, Joplin businessman Julius C. Finke commissioned Michaelis to plan a unified expansion of the buildings to four stories. The expansion was carried out in two phases with the first at the south half which gained a story in 1908 followed by the north half which gained two stories in 1923. Apart from a seam in the Main Street (east) elevation, the Joplin Furniture Company Building “reads” as a single building despite being completed in four phases over more than two decades. Although there have been alterations at the storefront level and most of the original windows have been replaced, the building substantially reflects its historic appearance. The original materials and workmanship, including the prominent copper cornice, are still present and mostly in very good condition. The interior is remarkably intact in its retention of original features and finishes including pressed tin ceilings in most of the building. Although much of the context surrounding the building has been lost over the years, the Joplin Furniture Company Building still portrays a feeling of importance on Joplin’s primary commercial thoroughfare...
The Joplin Furniture Company Building in Joplin, Missouri is locally significant for its association with patterns of COMMERCE in the city of the Joplin, Missouri and for ARCHITECTURE as a prominent example of Classical Revival architecture by local architect August C. Michaelis. The Joplin Furniture Company Building’s period of significance spans the 24 year period of its construction in four stages from 1899 to 1923. When completed, it was one of the largest single tenant retail establishments of its kind in the state of Missouri outside St. Louis and Kansas City. The Joplin Furniture Company operated continuously at this location from 1908 to 1982, and while the building has had some exterior alterations to the windows and storefronts, the Joplin Furniture Company Building retains all other exterior features and has had very minimal interior alterations since its construction.
The building appears to be in good condition and is used by printing company and an engineering firm.