This Building made headlines when it collapsed during demolition in 1978 killing 2

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The Hotel closed in 1969 and was vacant until 1971 two local residents of Joplin purchased the hotel and began restoring it. The retail spaces on the first floor and the restaurant were rented, covering the expenses for the building while plans were made to convert half of the hotel rooms into apartments, and reopen half for a hotel. The structure was designated a historic landmark in 1973, and financing was sought to complete the restoration project. Meanwhile, Joplin City Council, for whatever reason, decided that the hotel site was the only location to build a new library, and a company was formed to make that happen. The city tried, unsuccessfully, to have the historic landmark designation revoked, hampering efforts to finance the restoration project. A campaign by city citizens was begun to stop the city's plans. The city council generated significant negative publicity for the building, and unfortunately, most of the retailers renting space fled the building, causing financial distress to the owners. The city continued its efforts to remove the building's landmark designation, while citizens began a petition to save the building. By 1978 the owners could no longer continue, and the battle to save this landmark was lost. Work was begun to demolish the building in November. On November 11^th, 1978, one day before its scheduled implosion using dynamite, the original portion of the hotel collapsed with three workers inside it. Two of the men, Thomas Oaks and Frederick Coe, did not survive.

The library was built on the site, it is a plain, one story, brick faced building. Only 30 years after it was built, the library closed. It now stands vacant. The city is trying to sell it.

The Connor Hotel is one of the sturdiest and most solidly constructed buildings in the city. For over sixty years, it was the/center of the business, political, social and cultural life of Joplin and the surrounding tri-state lead mining region in southwest Missouri.

Thomas C. Connor, regarded locally as Joplin's first millionaire, owned a three-story Joplin Hotel (built in 1874) on the northwest corner of Fourth and Main Streets, an intersection then regarded as the hub of commercial Joplin. In 1906, Connor razed the old structure and began construction of a new eight-story hotel building. Connor employed the architectural firm of Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett of St. Louis, successors to George I. Barnett. The building was constructed by the local firm of Bieter and Wenzel, and interior decorations were by Holslag and Company of Chicago. Solidly built of concrete, stone, and steel throughout, the basic structure is still solid and in basically good condition. Quality materials were demanded for the Connor Hotel; press brick was purchased from the Hydraulic Press Brick Company of Kansas City, and stone was ordered from the Spring River Stone Company of Carthage, Missouri. The beautiful Italian white marble rotunda and stairway, reputed to have cost a quarter of a million dollars, was installed by the St. Louis Marble and Tile Company. Other marble, in the lobby and elsewhere, came from the Joplin Marble and Tile Company. Ornamental plaster, bronze, copper, and brass detail came from Kansas City Chicago, St. Louis, and Cincinnati.

No expense was spared in planning and building the new structure. The architects were noted for their design of the Roman Catholic Cathedral (1907-1914) in St. Louis, the Visitation Convent, (1893, St. Louis), and various other public buildings.

To dig out the basement and enlarge the foundation, horses were used to pull a wooden slip (scraper) with a man standing behind to hold the handles and guide. The steel used in framing was hoisted by a large crane. Usually, a man would stand on this piece of steel to direct its placement. Rivets were heated in a charcoal hand-forge and, when hot enough, were thrown 20 to 30 feet to workmen who caught red hot rivets in a tucket. So that no one would step in front of these hot rivets, everyone shouted "hot steel" before they threw.

Photographs showing the razing of the old Joplin Hotel and the building of the new Connor Hotel were made every few weeks from May 1906, through the later months of 1907 by a prominent Joplin photographer, Lee S. Head. Copies of these photographs are available from the Joplin Historical Society.

Thomas Connor had intended to name his hotel the "Joplin Hotel", but following his death in March 1907, his heirs renamed the building the Connor Hotel. The Hotel was completed according to the plans of Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett, but the copper-sheathed roof with Victorian dormers was eliminated. The Connor roof garden was originally open and accessible by a stairway from the top floor.

Later, in about 1915, a covered and enclosed L-shaped structure, designed by Joplin Architect Austin Allen, was added to the roof making a ninth story for the east half of the original Connor Building. The cost of the original hotel structure was approximately $750,000.

The Connor Annex was built in 1928. The architect for it, including the splendid Empire Room, was Alonzo H. Gentry, Kansas City, Missouri. The cost was said to be about $2,500,000. The annex added 154 rooms, each equipped with a private bath. Popular prices prevailing at the time were $2 to $3 per night. The formal opening was held on February 2^nd, 1929.

The Historical Trail Commission of the Joplin Historical Society, anticipating the day when the Connor Hotel will be returned to its former proud position in the community and area, has prepared a historic marker for the front facade of the original structure.

Building Description

The Connor Towers Motor Hotel, formerly the Connor Hotel, is located on the northwest corner of Fourth and Main streets in Joplin, Missouri. The building extends one block west to Joplin Avenue along Fourth Street and approximately 110 feet north along Main Street. Except for three one-and-two-story buildings adjacent to the hotel on Main Street, the Connor property occupies the major portion of the block. Parking is provided on the open or northwest portion of this block.

The original Connor Hotel structure is an example of neoclassical architecture. The Renaissance details are reminiscent of some of the Italian Palazzos in Rome and Florence. The Greco-Roman influence is especially suggested by the heavy rustication of the first and second floors, the quoins at the corners of the building, the ornamental brackets at the base of the balcony on the front facade, and upper-story bay windows. The elaborately carved panels over the lower openings and around the eighth-floor windows, and the boldly projecting roof cornice are also neoclassical influences. The architect made excellent use of local materials, including stone and brick, along with steel, concrete, and other structural materials. The original windows and doors are of hardwood stained dark. The white crystalline limestone construction of the two lower stories contrasts sharply with the brown brick above and provides an attractive overall expression. The original building is capped with a cornice and balustrade of green (patina) copper. The annex was constructed with the same limestone as the base of the older portion, but the brickwork above is a lighter tan with cream-colored terra cotta trim. The design of this later wing is relatively plain with little ornamentation except on the lower and second floors. There appears to have been no attempt to match the materials or design to the original structure except for the stone base material. The unexposed facades of both the original building and the annex are of common red brick.

The interior of the original Connor Hotel building is noteworthy, especially the lobby and adjacent rooms. On these levels, the floor is of ornamental tile, and the walls are embellished with wainscots and decorative panels in molded plaster. Many of the ceilings also include elaborate designs. The lobby is dominated by immense rounded scagliola columns and the marble staircase leading to a balustraded mezzanine. All lower floors and mezzanine corridors are treated in a similar fashion to the lobby.

Commercial shops appear along the perimeter area (street sides) of the lower floor. A bar and restaurant occupy a portion of the south side. A large kitchen serving the restaurant area is equipped with elevators and a dumb waiter to a second-floor service kitchen for the meeting rooms and the ballroom. The balance of the upper floors include a few suites and numerous hotel rooms. The annex contains a ballroom and a large suite of rooms. There are a total of 400 rooms in the Connor Hotel. The original open-roof garden on the original structure has been subsequently enclosed to form a large ballroom with a service kitchen, restrooms, and other facilities.

The original building and annex were both designed and furnished well. However, since about the time of the Second World War, the hotel has been allowed to deteriorate considerably. Unfortunately, little was done to maintain or modernize the building. The hotel was not air-conditioned, but window air conditioners were installed in most of the annex rooms. The building was closed in 1969. No provisions were made for winterizing it and subsequently, during a period of extremely low temperatures, the pipes froze and burst. A great deal of damage was done by ice. The summer-winter cycles without a constant temperature on the interior have caused paint to flake off in many rooms.

In late 1971 two Joplin men bought the Connor Hotel from the various owners and renamed it the Connor Towers Motor Hotel. They have started a program of rehabilitation. The building is being cleaned, and the mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems updated. The commercial shops have been remodeled and reoccupied. The owners are now attempting to get the kitchen and restaurant operating again, and the ballroom facilities will be opened and expanded. Following the rehabilitation of the original structure, the rooms in the annex will be remodeled and expanded in size by removing dividing walls, and reducing the number of rooms in half. The original hotel building is planned to be converted for apartments. The owners are seeking a franchise with a national hotel chain.

The present remodeling program has thus far been limited to cleaning the buildings and commencing rehabilitation of the lower floor area. New metal doors have replaced the old wooden doors and new canopies have been installed at the entrances. Metal windows are being considered to replace the deteriorating wooden fenestration.

View of Connor Hotel east (front)looking west along Fourth Street. Main Street runs north and south by front of hotel. The connor Annex shows in left side of picture. East looking west (1971)

Detail over front entrance, Connor Hotel, Main Street facade. East looking west. (1971)

Looking west from center of Main Lobby at marble staircase. Stairs lead tocopen mezzanine above. Main desk is at right (not visible). Behind stairs is stairway to basement. East looking west (1965)

Connor Hotel east (front) and north side looking southwest. Enclosed roof garden shows at top of photograph. (1971)

The architects' original drawing of the Connor Hotel. Drawing probably made about 1905 or 1906. Drawing shows a roof treatment that was not included in the final construction. Northeast looking southwest. (1906)

West and south sides of Connor Hotel annex, in foreground, with south side of original building beyond(east)on Fourth Street. Joplin Street in foreground runs north and south by back of hotel. Southwest looking northeast (1971)

Primary (east) facade; view looking west. (1977)

Southeast corner; view looking northwest. (1977)

Northwest corner; view looking southeast. (1977)

Northeast corner; view looking southwest. (1977)

Detail of copper cornice and roof balustrade of the south facade; view looking southwest. (1977)

Detail of the brackets of the copper cornice on the south facade. (1977)

Detail showing location of removed brackets of the copper cornice on the south facade. (1977)

Interior view of the grand staircase leading from the lobby to the mezzanine above. (1977)

Interior view of a primary first-floor hall- way leading to and from the lobby. (1977)

Interior view showing one room of the second-floor Joplin Club. (1977)