Built: 1890

Address: 140 South Chicago Street

First Occupant: Shann Meat Market was on the ground floor. On the second floor was Dr Stanley and Dr Briggs.

Current Occupant: Uptown Hair and Nails

Contractor: Unknown

Sandstone Quarry: Possibly from Argyle Road or Elm Creek Quarry

Architect: Robert W. Shann

Architectural Style: 

History: Hot Springs Star wrote a wonderful article (Linked below) on the Shann Building on May 23rd,1976 that references much older articles also written by the Hot Springs Star. The Shann Building is a significant structure because it was the first commercial sandstone building constructed in Hot Springs making it also the oldest commercial building in Hot Springs.

W. C. Shann, dealer in Choice beef, mutton, lamb, veal, pork, hams,

bacon, corn beef, etc. Poultry and game in season, H. S.

CITY HOTEL- W. C. Shann, prop. The Cheapest boarding house in the city. Rates:

Five dollars per week, one dollar a day, twenty-five cents a meal. H. S.

Hot Springs Star, August 15, 1890 —

"Excavation has already begun for the cellar of a two-story stone store building to be erected on the next lot south of Kenefick's new building on Chi­cago Avenue, by R.W. Shann. "Mr. Shann has shown us the plans and the build­ing when finished will be as fine as any in the town. This first floor will be occu­pied by Mr. Shann as a meat market, and the sec­ond floor will be divided into rooms. The building is to be completed in ninety days."

Glowing reports were given in the Star of the Shann building as it rose. The Sept. 5, 1890, edition says, "The artistic beauty of Shann's new building on Chicago Avenue is becom­ing visible. When finished Bob will have one of the most beautiful buildings in the city."

Robert W. and Ellena Shann mortgaged Lot 16, Block 2, Original Town, to the National Building and Loan Protective Union for $4,000 on Oct. 1, 1890. This, presumably was the

cost of the structure. The lot was purchased by Shann from Alexander S. and Mary A. Stewart and William P. Phillips for $I.000 on Aug. 18, 1890.

Iron columns delayed construction of the Shann Building for some days in October. John Fitzgerald, a workman, fell from the second story of the build­ing and was badly injured, the Star reports on Oct. 7. Fitzgerald later died."

Universal attention was attracted by Oct. 15, the Star reports. "It is built of red sandstone, elegantly cut. The top of the front being surmounted by an elegant zinc cornice."

The location of the quarry is not mentioned in the story, but George Marty, Hot Springs, reports the stone may have come from an area near Argyle Road turnoff. The red stone suggests that it could have also come from Elm Creek quarry on the east side of Battle Mountain, north of Burke

quarry.

There were some shifts in occupancy during the early years of building. Dr Stanley and Dr Briggs left to be replaced by Dr. Howell in December of 1891. In December of 1892, a person referred to as "The Hatchet" moved into rooms on the second floor. Later handwritten side notes indicated "The Hatchet" was a new newspaper. Other research finds it was written by Kennett Frederick Harris and ceased publication in November 1893.

The mortgage on the building was foreclosed and a Sheriff's Deed made in Oct. 14, 1895. The Pioneer Savings and Loan Company, successors of the National Building and Loan Union foreclosed. The loan company deeded the property to Margaret E. Ferguson on March 5, 1900. She deeded the building and land to Larry E. Highley on Oct. 16.

1911.

The American Legion memorial society received the property from Highley June 1. 1925.

Occupancy changed over the years, but all being easily discovered. A 1934 insurance rate book shows a barber shop and beauty shop on the lower floor, and the Legion Hall upstairs.

The Legion deeded the property to Loren Bingham, who in turn sold the building to Wilber Meyer in 1937. Florence Snow purchased the building from Meyers in 1944. It was operated as a produce store for some years with a bar opening about 1948.

Ray P. Snow sold the building to John Eastep in 1952 The municipal liquor store was located in the bar as of 1954. John sold the Wagon Wheel Bar to his brother

Eugene. The bar was still in business in 1984.

Helen Magee Archives for the Hot Springs Star article

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