Learn about Morris Frederick Bell, the man who designed the awe-inspiring Francis Quadrangle at 6 p.m. on August 27, 2024 at the CoMo Preservation monthly speaker event.

Our guest speaker, Matt Fetterly, a specialist in Columbia history, will provide behind-the-scenes information about the gifted and prolific architect who designed Mizzou’s Quad, the university’s historic center. Fetterly is also a CoMo Preservation board member and Boone County History & Culture Center research associate.

Bell was hired after Academic Hall burned in January of 1892 to create an area modeled after the University of Virginia’s quadrangle, a vast lawn surrounded by grand buildings we can still see today at Mizzou. The Quad remains one of the most photographed areas in Columbia.

In 1892—the same year Academic Hall burned—Bell oversaw the planning and construction of half a dozen iconic buildings. These buildings included Jesse Hall, completed in 1895, Pickard Hall, Swallow Hall, and the Law Building, which later became the Sociology Building and is now incorporated into the School of Journalism’s Reynolds Journalism Institute.

A prolific and notable architect, Bell, a Maryland native, lived in Fulton, Missouri. He designed prominent buildings throughout the state, including the Missouri State Penitentiary and another Columbia landmark—the Stephens Building at the corner of Htt and Broadway. Despite his lack of formal training in architecture, in 1881 he was admitted to the prestigious American Institute of Architects.

Fetterly is an eighth-generation Boone Countian, and an alumnus of Hickman High School and the University of Missouri. A lifelong love of Columbia inspired him to preserve a growing collection of over 170 books about Columbia and Boone County. Matt specializes in Columbia, Boone County, and Missouri history: particularly natural history, black history, indigenous history, LGBT history, and cultural history (especially architecture, music, art, theater, and cemeteries). 

SOURCES:

Historic Missourians. https://historicmissourians.shsmo.org/bell-morris-frederick/. Columbia, Missouri: State Historic Society of Missouri Research Center-Columbia. Accessed July 19, 2024.

Matt Fetterly presentation on Unique Architecture of Columbia at CoMo Preservation meeting on June 20, 2023.

Breme, Nancy B. (July 20, 1973).  National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Francis Quadrangle Historic District (Red Campus). Accessed July 19, 2024.

All CoMo Preservation’s monthly meetings feature a guest speaker on historic preservation and/or historic properties in Columbia, Missouri, and are open to the public and held in the Friends Room at the Columbia Public Library.

CoMo Preservation is devoted to helping homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated, but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. The preservation of historic places and spaces gives people a sense of place and boosts Columbia’s economy. You can get involved by volunteering, signing up for our mailing list, attending an event, becoming a member or donating.

Questions? Suggestions for speakers or events? Email CoMoPreservation@gmail.com