Tornadoes Hit Historic Downtowns in Missouri
Mother Nature has no respect for historic preservation or decade-long economic development plans. Years of work in Pierce City and Liberty, Missouri, were undone in a few minutes when the two historic downtowns were struck by tornadoes last month.
The towns were unfortunate targets during one of the worst tornado outbreaks the Midwest has seen in 100 years, with more than 80 touchdowns on May 4.
The historic downtown district of Pierce City was to be the center of a celebration last month. After a decade of hard work, residents were proud of what they had recreated: a lively downtown, a quaint area built of red brick and roughly quarried limestone buildings dating from the 19th century, stately old maples and elms, a bandstand, and an old-fashioned country market.
The revitalization "was really a spontaneous thing," says Mayor Mark Peters. "This has been about a 20- or 30-year process. The downtown was on the brink. There was an uptick in development that I'm proud to say my father had a hand in developing: I remember sweeping out floors in whatever building we had bought. ... It really kinda snowballed (in the 1990s). It's been terrific and gathering momentum."
Travelers were starting to go to Pierce City, once the center of commerce in the Ozarks, to browse, shop, and soak in the atmosphere and the reminder of a slower time.
Sudden destruction
Within minutes, the peaceful atmosphere was destroyed by 200 mph winds that barreled through the heart of downtown. Even the National Guard Armory, the town's tornado shelter, wasn't spared. Part of the castle-like structure was demolished, and one resident who sought cover there subsequently died.
The Double Eagle Antique shop, Forget Me Nots, and the Swap-N-Shop Bookshop were rubble. Thompson Drug, the new Tea Room, and 1884 Antiques and Designs had less damage ‹ broken windows and cracked structures. The post office also suffered structural damage.
Ninety percent of Pierce City's downtown was in ruins, and more than 35 businesses were damaged.
Mayor Peters says that engineers from the Historic Preservation Office of the state Natural Resources Department told him a few days after the storm struck that buildings in worse condition had been restored.
"I haven't seen the full report yet, but I got a little preliminary feedback," Peters adds. "Being the kind of people they are, they look at things with hopeful eyes, but even their eyes have declared large tracts of the downtown as total losses."
Can Pierce City be rebuilt? Most business owners had sunk all of their capital into renovating and restoring the structures, and very few had insurance. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been working with business owners and residents, but estimates for rebuilding costs were not available by mid-May.
But out of the rubble, some see opportunity. Peters sees a chance to recreate the small town better than before, possibly moving it out of a 100-year floodplain, away from a railroad, and making Main Street the town's main street once again. A local architect has drawn up eight different plans, and Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, has had students and professors developing ideas.
This Lawrence County town of 1,400 has the heart to come back. Residents helped store owners clean up, and at least three businesses had requests for building permits on Peters's desk less than two weeks after the tornado hit.
Losses in Liberty
Violent weather also struck 185 miles to the north, where the Kansas City suburb of Liberty (pop. 26,000) suffered substantial damage to buildings in and around its historic square. Liberty Square's buildings date from the 19th century, and residents see the area as an important part of the town's identity, a finding from the process that led to adoption of "Blueprint for Liberty," the land-use plan that won the 2000 APA award for an outstanding plan.
A former bank building, erected in 1887, lost its roof, and the tornado threw bricks from the second floor across the street. Another roof landed in the front yard of the old Clay County Courthouse.
"Quite a few (historic buildings) were hit and damaged, and one had to come down," says Steve Anderson, Liberty planning and development manager. "It was an emergency situation; two walls were structurally unsound. Initially we thought we might lose another building, but they were able to stabilize it."
Country Boutique and a children's clothing resale store, which occupied the old bank, will not be able to relocate on the square now; all available space is rented. The corner will be rebuilt to fit in with the area's historic character, Anderson emphasizes.
Other parts of town were also hit hard by the storm. About 600 homes and 48 businesses were affected, and damage estimates for all of Liberty are $50 to $60 million, according to Sharon Grimes, the city's public information officer. There were no deaths.
"We're still kind of reeling in it," Steve Anderson adds. "We're trying to get people keyed in to get their permits, just making sure people come in and go through that process."
Tornadoes also struck Stockton, Missouri; Jackson, Tennessee; Lawrence, Kansas; and Moore and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, causing widespread damage in each town.
Donations of money, time, or services for tornado victims in Pierce City may be sent to Tornado Victims Relief Fund, Springfield News-Leader, P.O. Box 798, Springfield, MO 65801. For Liberty, donations of money or materials may be made to Liberty's Victims' Supply Center, telephone 816-792-6034.
Sherrie Voss Matthews
Matthews is a writer and editor based in Springfield, Missouri.
