Cuba adds five sites to National Historic Register

The town of Cuba, Missouri, recently had big news to announce — five sites were added in one week to the National Register of Historic Places, including two on Route 66.

Cuba’s new additions to the National Register were revealed in an email from the National Park Service on Thursday. The National Register listings were effective Oct. 29.

  • George B. Hamilton house, 401 E. Washington St. (Route 66)
  • John Manson Munro house, 305 W. Washington St. (Route 66)
  • Cuba City Jail, Prairie and 300 block of South Main streets
  • Cuba Lodge No. 312 A.F. and A.M., 201 N. Smith St.
  • Hotel Cuba, 600 E. Main St.

More about each one:

George B. Hamilton house (map here) — Built about 1896 in a Queen Anne style, it was owned by a wealthy Cuba businessman and remains one of the biggest houses in Cuba. Hamilton ran several businesses, including a farm-equipment dealership, a gravel pit, an oil business and a silent-movie theater.

John Manson Munro house (map) — The Victorian-designed house was built about 1880 by a local businessman and former two-term mayor. The house was closed for 30 years after his death in 1941.

Cuba City Jail (map) — The concrete block structure was built in 1908. It remained in use as a jail as late as 1954 and serves as a museum today. The interior features a guard space with a desk and wood burning stove and a rear cell with two hanging iron bunks connected by an iron door.

Cuba Lodge No. 312 A.F. and A.M. (map) — Construction on the stone lodge for Masons finished about 1940. The interior also contains its original layout and much of its woodwork. The construction is attributed to local mason David R. Sharp. It continues to serve as a Masonic lodge.

Hotel Cuba (map) — Also known as the Palace Hotel, the red brick structure was finished about 1915. It originally was built to face the railroad tracks, then added an entrance in the late 1920s to face the U.S. 66 and attract travelers. It operated as a hotel until the mid-1970s. The structure now is used as apartments.

(Images and information via the Missouri Department of Natural Resources)

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