National Register of Historic Places

Monroe Hotel

Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
Listed
May 5, 2004
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
04000395

About this property

The Monroe Hotel was a hotel in Kansas City, Missouri. It was built in the early 1920s and soon afterward bought by Tom Pendergast, a local political boss, who arranged for connecting access between his office and the hotel. The hotel closed in 1971, and the building was later converted to condominium use. The need for affordable working class hotel space south of downtown came about as the result of the completion of Union Station in 1914. Raymond H. Sanneman designed the Monroe Hotel in 1920 for the Dubinsky Brothers, and Elelman-Fleming Construction Company served as the general contractor. The five-story hotel was constructed of reinforced concrete with brick and terra cotta at an estimated cost of $150,000. Political boss Thomas J. Pendergast purchased the Monroe Hotel in 1924, and he hired Sanneman to design a two-story building adjacent to the south side of the hotel that would serve as the headquarters for his Jackson County Democratic Club. Pendergast operated out of the two-story building at 1908 Main until the late 1930s. Pendergast had a doorway installed between his second floor office and the hotel, giving him a clandestine entry point and access to the hotel's elevator. After Pendergast's release from prison for income tax evasion, a Federal Court ordered the doorway to be sealed and barred Pendergast from any further political activity. The hotel closed its doors in 1971. After sitting vacant for more than 30 years, renovation to the Monroe Hotel was completed in mid-2006, by the Kansas City designer Benjamin Sundermeier. The hotel is now home to 8 luxury condominiums. The condos range in size from 1,930 to 2500 sq. ft.

Location

1904-06 Main St.
Kansas City, Jackson County, Missouri
39.09181, -94.58422

Categories

COMMERCE
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.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Rieger Hotel
Civil War
0 mi
Midwest Hotel
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0.1 mi
Safeway Stores and Office and Warehouse Building
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0.1 mi
Corrigan, Thos., Building
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0.1 mi
Kansas City Police Station Number 4
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Kansas City Skirmish 1861
1861Civil War
0.6 mi
Price's Raid — Battle of Westport
1864Civil War
2.9 mi
Battle of Byram's Ford
1864Civil War
3.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Monroe Hotel listed on the National Register?

Monroe Hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 5, 2004.

What type of historic resource is Monroe Hotel?

Monroe Hotel is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Monroe Hotel?

The period of significance for Monroe Hotel is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Monroe Hotel?

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