Building a civic monument
A $250,000 Classical Revival auditorium rises in downtown Joplin and is dedicated to veterans of every American war.
Construction began in August 1924. Contractor A. S. Greenwell built the $250,000 hall from a winning design by prominent Joplin architects August and Alfred Michaelis.
Its Classical Revival façade—with a stone pediment, colonnade, buff brick, and temple-like proportions—was intended to communicate dignity, permanence, and civic purpose. The original auditorium was planned to hold more than 4,000 people.
Tragedy struck on July 29, 1925, when Alfred Michaelis fell from scaffolding while inspecting the nearly finished building and died. A plaque inside Memorial Hall recognizes his work.
Memorial Hall was dedicated on October 18, 1925. About 2,000 people attended despite cold rain, including veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I.