County of building: Cooper County
Location of building: Main St. & Chestnut St., NW corner, Boonville
Built: 1920
Architect/Builder: Ludwig Abt
Architectural Style: Neo-Classical
Original/Historic occupant: Knights of Pythias
Current Occupant: 415: Buerky's BBQ & 417: Morgan's Wine & Spirits
Phone: (660) 865-9697
Hours: Friday-Saturday: 11am to 8pm -- Sunday: Noon to 2pm
Located right off the Katy Trail in Boonville. Buerky’s offers exceptional BBQ at a reasonable price. The restaurant is a definite family run affair so be sure to call ahead of time to confirm they are open. If you are in the mood for BBQ give your taste buds a treat! Watch out KC BBQ fans, Buerkey’s may have you beat!
"We walked in with a group of 20 people, (including kids of all ages!) and Buerky's was so flexible and accommodating. They allowed us to rearrange a few tables and essentially have an entire area to ourselves for eat in.Brisket was great! Tender, flavorful, delicious. French fries very flavorful. Mac didn't look great, but tasted like good ole comfort food Mac. Turkey was very good. Fried fish nuggets saved the day for some kiddos.Note that they did run out of a lot of menu items, and there was a note the window which states '$3 surcharge for brisket'.....but brisket was the only thing on the menu. Not sure if that surcharge was built in to the price or not, but we paid $40 for a sandwich and some brisket. ?Suggestion: when menu begins to sell out, do away with the surcharge. It's not really fair if that's the only thing you are selling at the time. Otherwise just increase the price on the menu." ~ Katie Tegerdine
"46. Knights of Pythias Building, 415-417 Main Street, 1920. Built on a Neo-Classical style, the first story had two storefronts. The
three-story structure is brick with stone veneer and accents." ~ NRHP Nomination Form
"Built: 1920
Style/Design: Neo-Classical
The 1st floor of the building is divided into 2 storefronts. It has stone veneer around 3 entrances, each with a transom. The S bay entrance has an Art Deco canopy. The 2nd story has 3 central bays of 3 part windows with pedimented lintels. The end bays Photo have trabeated lintels. The 3rd story windows are l-over-l with soldier
course lintels. Corner pilasters and 4 columns across this façade run through the 2nd and 3rd stories. Over this is a large molded entablature with egg and dart and dentil motifs and a name panel. A high closed brick parapet acts as a crowning balustrade. On the N façade, the E bay repeats the motifs of the E façade. Other openings on the 1st and 3rd stories have no headers, the 2nd story has segmentally arched lintels. Windows exposed on the 3rd story S are paired with transoms. To the W, the 3rd story has a central projecting rectangular bay window and an entrance as the S bay. The 2nd story has 4 attenuated windows with double rowlock, segmentally arched lintels. The fenestration of the 1st story has been altered several times.
"The Knights of Pythias Buildings were significant architecture as well as the commerce of Boonville. The present building, which replaces an earlier structure was built in 1920. In that year the offices of the Farmers Trust Co. were located on the 1st story, offices on 2nd and the Knights of Pythias Hall on the 3rd. A large
vault used by the Farmers Trust Co. is still present at the 1st story level. In 1933 Marion Miller and her husband renovated the 1st story to house the Casino Theater, a movie house that was in operation into the 1950's. Mr. Miller and a young helper were killed in the fire of 1934. In 1937 the 1st floor S was the site of the Walz Jewelry Store while the 2nd floor was utilized for business and professional offices and the Laura Estell l1yer Studio of Dancing and Dramatics. A 3rd fire during the 1950's again caused damage to the building, and after repairs, the 1st story S housed the Jones Watch Shop while City Tire and Electric was to the N. During the 1970's the 1st story housed both City Tire and Electric (N) and the Automobile Association of America (S). Presently the building is vacated and the present owners have plans to restore the 1st story into a twin theater movie house.
The original 1898 building was a 3½ story brick structure that dominated the Boonville skyline. An ornate stone entrance graced the center front façade and is now believed to be relocated at the Boonville Water Works building in Harley Park. Vertical and
semi-circular stone hoodmolds covered the 1st and 2nd story windows respectively. In its early days the 1st story was used for a dry goods store, the 2nd story as offices, the 3rd story as the Knights of Pythias Castle Hall containing parlors, kitchen, regalia and anterooms, and the top story was the Knights of Pythias club room. In 1910 a movie picture theater was in the S 1st story and a business school in the 2nd. In 1917 the S 1st story was used by an auto sales company with a capacity of 6 cars while the N was used for the sale
of farm machinery and seeds. By 1919 the 1st floor S was the location of the Farmers Trust Co. of Boonville.
The Knights of Pythias Building replaces an earlier log structure that housed Jacob F. Gmelich's Jewelry Store, est. 1861. George Garthoffner operated his cigar factory in 1894 on the site along with barber and cobbler shops.
"The structure faces E onto Main St. There is an alley to the N & W. There are no outbuildings. A gravel parking area is to the W." ~ Boonville Historic Survey PDF pages 1907-1912