Moniteau County Courthouse Square - California, MO
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 38° 38.181 W 092° 33.894
15S E 537868 N 4276512
This district listed in 1970 has had many changes, most not for the good of the district.
Waymark Code: WMQX6M
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 04/09/2016
Views: 3
County of district: Moniteau County
District location: Bounded by High St., North St., East St & Main St.
"In July of 2008, the City of California demolished a two story building at 409-411 North High
Street that was included in the California Courthouse Square Historic District, a district listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. The City of California used a Community Development
Block Grant to acquire and clear the deteriorated building from the site prior to the completion of
the mandated Section 106 Historic Preservation Review Process. A decision was made by the
State Historic Preservation Office that as mitigation for the loss of this National Register
property, the City should provide adequate documentation of the history of the demolished Finke
Building, and undertake a survey of the remaining commercial structures between the
Courthouse and Highway 50, Buchanan Street. A Memorandum of Agreement was drawn up
and submitted to the City of California in August 2008 but an agreement was not signed until
December of 2009.
"The Moniteau County Courthouse Square was listed on the National Register in 1970 and by the
time of the demolition of the Finke Building on North High Street, all of the historic buildings
on the south side of Main Street, opposite the Courthouse had all been removed and replaced
with modern buildings.
It was the opinion of this researcher, that the scope of the mitigation as proposed in the MOA did
not adequately address the real effect of the demolition of the 1857 portion of the Finke Building
which represented a lessening of commercial architectural resources in the community, but had a
greater impact on loss of National Register resources within the Courthouse Square Historic
District. After a contract was signed between the City and Preservation Support Services in
August 2009, this researcher addressed the need to re-evaluate the survey boundaries to include
the area of the Courthouse Square Historic District. Initial field work was started in September
of 2009 but because there was no signed MOA, no substantive discussion was permitted between
the researcher and the SHPO staff." ~ CALIFORNIA COMMERCIAL DISTRICT SURVEY REPORT
"The block on which the courthouse is centered is surrounded by
streets on each side. Facing the courthouse on the opposite sides
of each of these streets are commercial buildings dating from the
period of construction of the courthouse, and employing the sans
construction materials (stone, brick, cast iron and wood). The
west side of the square is especially notable for the survival of
a "complete row of similar structures. The south side has period
structures with only two buildings of recent date creating a gap
in the continuity. The north and east sides have fewer buildings
of the period.
"The commercial structures are typically two story brick with
structural cast iron elements on the facades. Stamped metal
cornices visible in early views of the square are largely intact,
but several metal pedimental-type ornaments have been removed
from the building at the northwest corner of the intersection of
Main and High streets. Metal canopies originally sheltering the
sidewalks in front of several stores have also been removed." ~ NRHP Nomination Form