County of building: Cooper County
Location of building: Chestnut St., between 3rd St. & 4th St., S side, Boonville
Built: 1850's, 1921, 1938
Architect/Builder: Unknown
Architectural Style: Federal/Greek Revival
Original Occupant: Captain Judge Washington Adams
Current Occupant: Seventh Days Adventist
Pastor: Hiram Sollie Rester
"Welcome to the Boonville SDA Church in Boonville, MO. We are a Christian community and would love to have you join our family. Please join us for Bible study, worship, and prayer.
"The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with approximately 19 million members worldwide, including more than one million members in North America. The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks to enhance quality of life for people everywhere and to let people know that Jesus is coming again soon.
"Adventists believe a Trinity of three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—make up one God. They made salvation possible when Jesus, the Son, came to earth as a baby in Bethlehem and lived a sinless life in accordance with the Father's will. When Jesus was crucified for the sins of the people of the world and arose from the dead on the third day, victory was won for everyone.
"When He returned to heaven following the resurrection, Jesus left the Holy Spirit to serve as our Comforter and Counselor. He promised to return to earth a second time to complete His plan of salvation and take His people to heaven. Adventists are among the believers who look forward to that day.
"Adventists believe that God is concerned with the quality of human life, and that everything—the way we live, eat, speak, think, treat each other, and care for the world around us—is part of His plan. Our families, our children, our jobs, our talents, our money, and our time are all important to Him." ~ Boonville SDA Church web page
History of the Building:
"Built: c. 1850's, 1938
Style/Design: Federal/Greek Revival - Vernacular
The structure has a projecting central bay with a gable roof and a double door entrance. It retains a decorative vergeboard and ornate Eastlake doors. Small basement windows appear above ground level. The 1st story windows are attenuated, 2-over-2, and corbelled rowlock sills, and unique stepped headers. On the W is a double entrance reached by concrete steps. On the S is a projecting gable roofed, basement entrance. The rear 1st floor entrance has concrete steps. A hip roof projecting rec. bay addition on the E façade has a basement pent roofed entrance on the S. small rectangular windows - N & S and a circular window on the E, There is a chimney on the E façade. On the primary (N) façade corner stones read "Organized 1916; Dedicated 1921 - Remodeled 1938."
"The present structure was originally built as a 2½ story brick residence. Built on a 2/3rd plan over a raised basement. It possessed double end chimneys with the entrance with sidelights in the westernmost bay. Slightly pedimented lintels accented the 2-over-2 attenuated windows. A Greek Revival 1 story, 1 bay frame porch containing Doric columns, a wide entablature with dentil work and a flat roof, and six steps graced the structure's entrance bay area. An attached one story frame structure predates the brick structure and was attached on the west side, Built around 1831 by Charles H. Smith the frame structure contained a pent roof veranda across the
north facade.
Oral history indicates that the brick structure was built for Judge Washington Adams, noted Missouri Supreme Court Justice (1871-74), framer of the 1875 Missouri Constitution and Boonville attorney, Documentation shows that Adams was residing at that location in 1860. Adams widow continued her residence till 1891. It was then sold to James Henry Wooldridge, a one time professor at Kemper Military School, and bank director. In 1907 Wooldridge's widow, Eliza developed her large residence lot into the Wooldridge Addition to the City of Boonville. She continued to reside in the house till 1921.
In 1921 the "Wooldridge Estate" was purchased by Herman Schnack (a saloon operator) and later sold to the Immanuel Lutheran Church Congregation. The main floor was used for Church services with Sunday School and Social gatherings on the second floor. The older
frame structure containing five rooms and a bath were arranged as living quarters for the pastor.
A 1938 remodeling razed the dwelling, removed the upper stories of the brick structure and added additional area on the first floor level. The full basement was divided into a recreation hall, Sunday School room, kitchen, restrooms and furnace room. A projecting central bay entrance and steeple was added. A residence on 4th and Chestnut was purchased as a parsonage. In the later years before its sale in 1966 the building was used as the Church's Education Center
In 1966 the American Legion-Thoma-Tuttle Post No. 52, purchased the building for their meeting hall and slightly altered the first floor and removed the steeple to meet their needs.
"The structure sits on a slight embankment as Chestnut drops
off to the W. It faces N onto Chestnut. There is a asphalt drive to the E and a gravel parking lot to the S. There are no outbuildings." ~ Boonville Historic Survey PDF pages 1267-1270