County of building: Gasconade County
Location of building: E. 1st St. & Gutenberg St., NW corner, Hermann
Built: 1886
Architectural Style: Second Empire
"237 East 1st Street, Monnig Building, 1886, Contributing (survey #6)
This two-part brick commercial block on stone foundation is 2 1/2 stories with mansard roof.
The mansard roof has metal cresting and is covered in slate shingles. Over the slightly
projecting center bay of the building is a brick dormer with pediment roof flanked by metal
finials. On either side of this are round arch dormers with decorative pilasters with 2/2
windows. A pressed metal cornice with brackets extends across the facades and two
secondary elevations. The second floor has five evenly spaced 2/2 windows with segmental
arched windows with stone corner blocks and stone sills. The first floor has a double-leaf
round arch opening with double leaf doors and a sunburst transom in the projecting center
bay. Modern storefronts with four-light transoms are located to ether side of this bay. A
single story brick addition with double leaf doors and transom is located on the west side. A
wood frame, board and batten building shares a common brick wall to the west side of this
addition, flush with the street." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
Text of marker:
Monnig Family General Store
1870 - 1890
On April 15, 1870 Otto Monnig purchased this building on the corner of East Front and Guttenberg Streets and relocated his established hardware and cutlery store to this site. Over time, he expanded this inventory, adding a full line of clothing, toys, and groceries. Hi son-in-law, Dr. Gustave Ettmueller, opened a drug store and post office in the building. Otto Monnig also founded the Hermann Savings Bank in a building located at 106 Schiller Street, and served as its president from 1867 to 1883.
On July 29, 1886, fire destroyed this building, its contents, and the upstairs apartments. One employee, Gussie Pfautsch, was killed in the blaze. The damage was repaired and the store was reopened for business by Thanksgiving of that year.
The Monnig family store was sold in 1890 to Pudot and Scherer. In 1889 the Otto Monnig family moved to Fort Worth, Texas, wehre Otto and three of his sons established the Monnig Department Store. In addition to a downtown Fort Worth location, Monnig's had five suburban stores, a distribution center and a warehouse. The store remained in the Monnig family until its sale in 1980.
Otto Monnig and two of his brothers, Dr. Oscar Monnig and Hugo Monnig, migrated to the United States from Rees, Germany in the 1840s. They settled and reared their families in the vicinity of Hermann, Americus, and Rhineland, Missouri.