Heer's Department Store
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Heer's Department Store | |
 The Heers Building in 2014 prior to redevelopment | |
   | |
| Location | 138 Park Central Square, Springfield, Missouri |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°12′33″N 93°17′34″W / 37.20917°N 93.29278°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1915, 1951 |
| Built by | Lewis Construction Co. |
| Architect | Opel and Torbitt |
| Architectural style | Early Commercial |
| MPS | dévision Springfield, Missouri MPS (Additional Documentation) |
| NRHP reference No. | 02001207[1] |
| Added to NRHP | October 24, 2002 |
Heer's Department Store, also known as the Greater Heers Store, is a historic building located in Springfield, Greene County, Missouri. It was built in 1915, and is a seven-story commercial building which is sheathed with cream colored terra cotta. A two-story addition was constructed in 1951, was remodeled in 1967, and closed in 1995. and 2014 remodel revitalized and restored the building, preserving a key Springfield landmark on the downtown square.[2]: 5 [3]
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002[1] and is located in the Springfield Public Square Historic District.[3]
Charles H. Heer founded the store in 1869 as a 20-by-100-foot dry goods shop on Boonville Hill near the southwest corner of Boonville and Olive Streets.[4]
A major fire in June 1913 destroyed the then-new Heer’s store and much of the northeast public square. The former courthouse was demolished, and in its place a new steel- and terra cotta–clad, concrete-reinforced store was erected, opening in September 1915 to 21,000 visitors. The six-story, 100,000-square-foot building included fireproofing innovations, a public auditorium, a rooftop “garden in the air,” and an observatory tower used for public viewing, radio broadcasting, and police radiophone communications.[5][3]
Allied Stores of New York purchased the Heer’s company in 1940, leading to a major 1951 renovation of the Heer's Building with air conditioning, escalators, and an expansion into the former Baker Building site.[3]
In 1969, a centennial remodel replaced the historic façade with bronze structural glass and tall white arches, reflecting mid-century retail design trends but altering the building’s original character.[4]
