Historic CoMo Blog
Columbia’s buildings aren’t just structures—they’re storytellers. From the limestone columns of the University to the brick storefronts along 9th Street, the built environment around us reveals layers of history, culture, and community.
The Historic CoMo Blog is a project of CoMo Preservation, created to share and celebrate the rich architectural heritage of Columbia, Missouri. Here, we dive into the past behind the places we walk by every day—homes, churches, schools, commercial blocks, and forgotten corners of the city.
Academic Hall and Civil War
On January 2nd, 1862, the 2nd Missouri Cavalry Regiment, commonly known as “Merrill's Horse” arrived in Columbia and pitched their tents on the University of Missouri campus. Merrill established a permanent Union headquarters in Academic Hall, whose six columns famously survive in the middle of Francis Quadrangle, a National Historic District.
The Herald Newspaper and E.W. Stephens
On January 1st, 1871, the Columbia, Missouri Herald newspaper was first published by Edwin William Stephens. In 1892 the Herald Building would be erected on the southwest corner of Hitt and Broadway. In 1904 it was Columbia’s largest business and employed 100 people.
