505-509 W Main
1914, 1929 - Homer C. Miller Garage
Commercial, single-story parapet front
The two buildings (505, 509 West Main) are matched in design and plan. The buildings sit on a hill so the ground
level is much higher on its northwest corner, so the storefronts step up towards the west. The brick cornice line
matches commercial buildings of the period with the same corbelled brick bracket pattern. This building
supplemented 509 and features a concrete insert panel in its parapet wall which states "19-H. C. Miller-29." The
building at 505 West Main, built in 1929, was consciously matched in fa?ade design with the 1914 building, the
only major difference being a slightly lighter colored face brick on the front. The storefront is more display oriented
with the entire front being committed to three large display windows.
The storefronts are remarkably well preserved. The clerestory or transom areas are retained and original window
structure might survive in the newer building. The building was remodeled about 1960.
The Cherokee Times (February 26, July 6, 1914) reported "[this is]...one of the finest improvements on West Main
Street. It is 30x100 feet, front finished with paving brick and the balance with Kansas City Gas burnt brick. There
are 12 tons of steel in the building. It is unusually high, 24 feet, made necessary because of the threshing outfits
which are stored there. Mr. Miller now has 10,000 square feet of floor space and if things are favorable he
contemplates replacing his frame building with a fire-proof structure next year."
Homer C. Miller built this addition to his garage building at 509 West Main during the summer of 1929, to house his
growing agricultural implements business. The lot was previously occupied by the Presbyterian Church. Miller was
located at 505 or 507 West Main as of 1907 occupying two frame buildings on this same site. The building at 507
West Main was built in 1914. The new building was opened on October 5, 1929 with 2,500 attendees at an open
house. The front showroom served as an evening dance hall and Ruth Banister's band provided the music. The
enlarged building totaled 15,000 square feet. It included the garage, sales rooms, show room and also housed the
National Tire Stores Inc. when it opened. An auto garage with 50-car capacity occupied 509 West Main by 1924,
and the whole facility was auto oriented by 1947 (Daily Times, May 22, October 7, 1929).
Commercial, single-story parapet front
The two buildings (505, 509 West Main) are matched in design and plan. The buildings sit on a hill so the ground
level is much higher on its northwest corner, so the storefronts step up towards the west. The brick cornice line
matches commercial buildings of the period with the same corbelled brick bracket pattern. This building
supplemented 509 and features a concrete insert panel in its parapet wall which states "19-H. C. Miller-29." The
building at 505 West Main, built in 1929, was consciously matched in fa?ade design with the 1914 building, the
only major difference being a slightly lighter colored face brick on the front. The storefront is more display oriented
with the entire front being committed to three large display windows.
The storefronts are remarkably well preserved. The clerestory or transom areas are retained and original window
structure might survive in the newer building. The building was remodeled about 1960.
The Cherokee Times (February 26, July 6, 1914) reported "[this is]...one of the finest improvements on West Main
Street. It is 30x100 feet, front finished with paving brick and the balance with Kansas City Gas burnt brick. There
are 12 tons of steel in the building. It is unusually high, 24 feet, made necessary because of the threshing outfits
which are stored there. Mr. Miller now has 10,000 square feet of floor space and if things are favorable he
contemplates replacing his frame building with a fire-proof structure next year."
Homer C. Miller built this addition to his garage building at 509 West Main during the summer of 1929, to house his
growing agricultural implements business. The lot was previously occupied by the Presbyterian Church. Miller was
located at 505 or 507 West Main as of 1907 occupying two frame buildings on this same site. The building at 507
West Main was built in 1914. The new building was opened on October 5, 1929 with 2,500 attendees at an open
house. The front showroom served as an evening dance hall and Ruth Banister's band provided the music. The
enlarged building totaled 15,000 square feet. It included the garage, sales rooms, show room and also housed the
National Tire Stores Inc. when it opened. An auto garage with 50-car capacity occupied 509 West Main by 1924,
and the whole facility was auto oriented by 1947 (Daily Times, May 22, October 7, 1929).