City guide

architecture in Jefferson City.

4 buildings worth a detour, each with what to look for. Open them on the map, or walk them with the iPhone app, which collects each one you photograph.

Styles you'll see Neoclassical Second Empire Queen Anne

Landmarks

The buildings that define the city's architecture.

Second Empire

Missouri Governor's Mansion

George I. Barnett

The Missouri Governor's Mansion is a historic residence at 100 Madison Street in Jefferson City that has served every governor since it was built in 1871 at a cost of $75,000. Designed by architect George I. Barnett, the current Neo-Renaissance structure stands on a bluff overlooking the Missouri River, on the site of the first Jefferson City capitol building, which burned in 1837. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 21, 1969, and sits within the Missouri State Capitol Historic District.

Photo: Americasroof of English Wikipedia , CC BY-SA 3.0

Neoclassical

Missouri State Capitol

Tracy and Swartwout · 1917

The Missouri State Capitol is the seat of the Missouri General Assembly and the state's executive branch, standing at 201 West Capitol Avenue in Jefferson City. It is the third capitol built on this site — the previous two were destroyed by fire — and was designed by the New York City firm Tracy and Swartwout, completed in 1917. The domed building houses the Senate and House chambers along with the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, and auditor, and its dome is the first thing travelers see approaching Jefferson City from the north.

Photo: KTrimble at English Wikipedia , CC0

Queen Anne

Missouri State Penitentiary Warden's House

Morris Frederick Bell · 1888

The Missouri State Penitentiary Warden's House, also known as the Missouri State Penitentiary Director's House, is a historic home in Jefferson City built in 1888 and updated in 1907 by architect Morris Frederick Bell in the Queen Anne style. The two-story frame dwelling sits on a rough limestone block foundation and served as the residence for the penitentiary's warden.

Photo: Anneecox , CC BY-SA 3.0

Notable buildings

Worth a stop when you're nearby.

Landmark

Missouri State Penitentiary

John Haviland · 1836

The Missouri State Penitentiary operated in Jefferson City from 1836 to 2004, serving as the state's primary maximum-security institution until it closed as the oldest operating penal facility west of the Mississippi River. It was designed by John Haviland and built in the early 1830s, with construction overseen by master stonemason James Dunnica, after Governor John Miller suggested the state's main prison be sited there to help secure Jefferson City's standing as capital. The legislature allotted $25,000 for the project, and the facility opened in March 1836; it is now a tourist attraction with guided tours.