1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building
National Register of Historic Places

1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building

Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
Listed
January 22, 2009
Type
Building
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
08001359

About this property

The 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building, located at 1901 McGee St. in Kansas City, Missouri, was built in 1912. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It is a two-story two part commercial block building, 99 by 111 feet (30 m × 34 m) in plan, built with hollow tile walls by builder/architect C.C. Smith. The building " deftly illustrates the specialized adaptation of a typical main street commercial building for automobile sales and service functions. As the popularity of automobiles soared, real estate investors constructed this building near the heart of Kansas City’s nascent Automobile Row. By blending a traditional commercial façade with physical elements that addressed the specific needs of automobile sales and service, the building met the needs of tenants and consumers. Distinctive features include large storefront windows on the first story, which gave passersby a clear view of the vehicles for sale inside; large expanses of over-sized windows on the second story and skylights in the roof, which provided ample light and ventilation to work areas on the second floor; and an oversized freight elevator capable of transporting vehicles, as well as auto parts, from the back alley to the first floor or the second floor. Most notable, though, is the building’s highly unique structural system, which supplements a typical early-twentieth century masonry and wood structure with massive steel I-beams that span the ceiling on the first floor and distinctive turnbuckle trusses that hang from the ceiling on the second floor. These structural enhancements responded to the very heavy loads the building had to support to serve its intended function. The automotive service building at 1901 McGee Street clearly embodies this type and period of commercial design and is characteristic example of the automotive service buildings that survive from the heyday of Kansas City’s automobile row. The period of significance, 1912 – 1941, reflects the dates of construction and a significant renovation."

Location

1901-1907 McGee St.
Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
39.09024, -94.58008

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building

This page lists 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
First month just $5.99, then $11.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building report
Or see a real report first

Nearby Historic Sites

Interstate Securities Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Twenty-Twenty Grand Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
City Bank Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Firestone Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Corrigan, Thos., Building
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Kansas City Hopewell Conflict
1000Pre-Columbian
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building listed on the National Register?

1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 22, 2009.

What type of historic resource is 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building?

1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building?

The period of significance for 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building is recorded as the civil_war era.

Can I research the history near 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

More in Jackson County

Historic places, battles, and census history across Jackson County.

Explore JacksonCounty ›

More historic places in Missouri

Browse all historic places in Missouri.

View Missourihistoric sites ›

Conflict records

Explore 19,000+ military engagements across American history.

Browse US conflicts ›

Missouri history

Colonial settlement, territorial period, and statehood narrative.

Missourihistory ›

Research the history near this site

An Aubrey US report for an address near 1901 McGee Street Automotive Service Building will include this listing alongside battlefield records and other historical sources within your chosen radius.

Research your locationView a free sample report