CoMo Preservation looks to highlight downtown history with ‘Brick & Mortar’ project
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
A new project is bringing Columbia’s history to life right from the sidewalks of downtown.
CoMo Preservation is honoring six historic buildings through a new initiative called CoMo Brick & Mortar, designed to showcase the city’s rich architectural past in a modern, interactive way.
The project transforms downtown Columbia into a self-guided walking history tour using small window clings with QR codes placed on select buildings. When scanned, the codes give visitors a deeper look into each building’s history and how it has evolved over time.
Three of the featured locations are along East Broadway, including the Howard Municipal Building at 600 E. Broadway and the Herald Building at 1020 E. Broadway. Other sites include The Tiger Hotel on South Eighth Street, the Hall Theatre on Ninth Street, and the Crane-Cho Building on East Walnut.
Organizers said each building represents a unique piece of Columbia’s story.
"Columbia has changed over the years." said Matt Fetterly, a CoMo Preservation Historian. "In fact, hardly any buildings downtown are being used today for their original purpose and most have seen many iterations of different businesses, different uses throughout the years."
The first QR code was installed at a downtown location known as Wynnsome on Sunday afternoon, marking the beginning of what organizers hope will become a long-term community resource.
Fetterly said the goal is not only to highlight history but to help people better understand and appreciate architecture.
"We have some pretty cool buildings architecturally in downtown Columbia, and people need the vocabulary to know how to talk about these buildings," Fetterly said.
The project comes at a relatively low cost, just a few hundred dollars to produce the QR code clings.
“It’s a small investment for a huge reward,” Fetterly added.
The initiative is made possible through a partnership with Columbia's Downtown District.
"It's really cool to know that, you know, the building that you're standing in had been something major in the past. It has contributed to the city in one way or another," said Nickie Davis with the District.
Organizers hope to expand the project by adding six more buildings each year, with plans to eventually reach beyond downtown Columbia.
"We could spend two decades just in downtown," Fetterly said. "We want to expand a little bit to other places that might be interested. Perhaps one of our three college campuses."
Check back for updates.
