Middle West Hotel - Webb City, Missouri - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

1 S. Main Street
Middle West Hotel; Grand Opera House and Webb City Opera House
ca. 1883
[c]

This three-story brick corner block commercial building is the only building in downtown Webb City listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Originally, the building fronted north on E. Main Street (now known as E. Broadway). The building was realigned to front S. Main Street, to accommodate the Southwest Missouri Electric Railway in 1902. The west facing façade fronts S. Main Street (historically known as S. Allen), has a flat roof, a rectangular plan, and is connected to the east to a building with a flat roof and rectangular plan. The west facing storefront is divided into three units with the center storefront having eight vertical windows over a wood panel bulkhead. The south and north storefronts have vertical windows with an inset door and wood panel bulkheads. Extending out over the three storefronts are three cream shed awnings. A continuous cornice line serves as a divider to the upper levels as well as a signboard for the building. Located at southernmost end of the facade is a three-story historic addition that features a solid door entrance with a transom and provides access to the upstairs. The upper levels are divided into three sections by brick pilasters and hold one-over-one early period double-hung windows with the third level windows being smaller. Located in the center section are two windows with a continuous flat header and sill flanked by single windows on both levels. The north and south sections feature three windows with a continuous flat header and sill on the second level and individual headers and sills on the third level. The historic addition has a window on each level with flat headers and sills.

Above the third level is a decorative instepped brick corbelling with a heavy projecting bracketed cornice with dentils, which wraps to the north elevation. The north elevation has a solid surface wall space on the first level with a painted mural. The upper levels are divided into two sections by a brick pilaster at each section and hold one-over-one double-hung windows with flat headers and sills. Adjoined at the east corner of the north elevation is a two-story brick building with the first level devoid of openings and early period two-over-two double-hung windows with brick arched hoods and concrete sills. The cornice lines holds brick inset panels with brick corbelling.