Historic Downtown Kirkwood

October 28, 2009

Downtown Kirkwood has been added to the
National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places

The National Park Service has approved the inclusion of the Downtown Kirkwood Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, effective October 28, 2009.

Owners of buildings with historic integrity may be eligible for federal and state tax credits for qualified improvements to their buildings.

A national historic district designation for Downtown Kirkwood identifies and recognizes the value of buildings, structures, landscapes and sites that have historical, architectural and cultural significance.  Historic preservation also contributes to the community's economic vitality through heritage tourism and the cascading effect of rehabilitation projects on local employment and commerce.

Listing in the National Register does not bring limitations or restrictive covenants.  Owners are free to maintain, manage or dispose of their buildings as they chose.  (Exceptions to this are local landmarks, as designated by the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission, which are subject to design review for improvements and/or demolition.) 

The Kirkwood Special Business District and the City's Landmarks Commission collaborated to pursue historic recognition for the downtown historic area and inclusion on the Registry. 

Supporters of the nomination include the Kirkwood Landmarks Commission, Kirkwood Historical Society, Downtown Kirkwood Advisory Commission, Kirkwood City Council, Missouri Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the National Parks Service.

Great Southern Bank, a property owner in Downtown Kirkwood, through their liaison, Kevin Baker, endowed $20,000 for hiring a preservation specialist, Karen Bode Baxter, to write the nomination for the district designation.