Grim Building
About this property
The Grim Building is an office building and former medical clinic located in Kirksville, Missouri. Constructed in the Jacobethan Revival style in 1905, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in June, 1979. Brothers Ezra and Edward Grim, both physicians, had a desire to consolidate their medical practices under one roof. In 1904 they contracted with the St. Louis, Missouri architectural firm of Weber and Groves for a building large enough to house offices, examination rooms and operating suites. Local contractor Albert L. Holmes was chosen for the construction, which was finished in October, 1905 for a final cost of $11,248. This was considered only slightly higher than a similar size building of more utilitarian design, surprising considering the ornate details often associated with a Jacobethan Revival building. The exterior is of red brick with white accent stones and trim around the windows. Great detail was given to the main entrance, a hooded limestone basket-handle arch with considerable ornamentation. An adjacent carriage house still remains from the original construction, though it has been heavily renovated over the years to provide more office and retail space. The Grims spared little expense on the interior either, with plentiful high-quality oak woodwork throughout and Tennessee marble in the main first floor hallway. Several fireplaces in the building feature ornate metal screens and green glazed tile in the immediate floor area. The Grim brothers used the eastern half of the first floor for outpatient surgery and treatment rooms until they established the Grim Brothers Hospital in 1910. A new hospital building was completed for them just south of the First District Normal School; however, Edward Grim continued to use the original building for his office until his death in 1936. The brothers' partnership went on hiatus for a time beginning in 1917 when Ezra Grim joined the U.S. Army Medical Corps, serving in France during World War I. They would continue in partnership with the hospital until their retirement while also maintaining ownership of the original building, renting out office space to other businesses. The ownership of the building remained within the extended Grim family until 1970 when a grandnephew sold it to outside investors. Plans were put forth in the 1980s to demolish the building and replace it with more parking for downtown businesses, despite the buildings' very good condition. However, public outcry, and new ownership of the building, prevented the demolition from happening. Renovation and restoration returned the Grim Building to an appearance much like it did when first constructed, save for modern lighting, heating and cooling, and some carpeted areas of individual offices.
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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.
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Questions about this property
When was Grim Building listed on the National Register?
Grim Building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1979.
What type of historic resource is Grim Building?
Grim Building is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Grim Building?
The period of significance for Grim Building is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Grim Building?
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