The troubled Shamrock Court Motel in Springfield, Missouri, met the wrecking ball this week, according to several local Route 66 enthusiasts.
Jaxson Priest said on the Historic Route 66 group on Facebook that the property at 2238 W. College St. (aka Route 66) had been in terrible shape due to neglect and squatters.
The City of Springfield Building Development Services made the decision to condemn and demolish the building after an emergency board up order revealed the true extent of structural degradation.
It’s a bittersweet day for the local Route 66 community. It hurts to see a piece of history lost forever, but the issues with the squatters have been so extensive for so long, everyone I’ve talked to is glad there is finally a resolution to the problem.
The City of Springfield largely stated the same thing:\
Jonathan Sharp also was there to document the destruction:
The Shamrock was just a short distance from the more lovingly maintained Rockwood Motor Court.
According to Route 66 Times, the Shamrock Court was established in 1927 — less than a year after U.S. 66 was certified. It included five duplex-style cottages.
It became the Shamrock Court Motel during the 1950s, then the Shamrock Motel. By the 1970s, the property was converted into apartments.
One should not confuse this property with the restored and reopened Shamrock Court in Sullivan, Missouri.
(Image of the Shamrock Court Motel in Springfield, Missouri, courtesy of 66Postcards.com)