The Pythian Home of Missouri, also known as Pythian Castle, in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, was built in 1913 by the Knights of Pythias and later owned by the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

. German and Italian prisoners-of-war were assigned here during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

for medical treatment and as laborers. Some prisoners were kept in the detached powerhouse and laundry room behind the castle. The laundry room is still owned by the U.S. Army. The building was listed on the U.S.

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

on October 7, 2009. (51 pages, with 5 figures and 14 photos) It is privately owned and open to the public for tours by appointment.

Construction

The main building was designed to give the structure the appearance of a castle which reflected the theme of the Knights of Pythias. Its foundation and exterior is constructed of "Carthage Stone", an especially hard variety of

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

commonly quarried in the

Ozarks The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant port ...

. The interior construction is composed of steel framework with poured concrete floors, ceilings, and stairways. The interior walls consist of layered hollow-core "Pyrobar Blocks" (a gypsum-based fireproofing material developed in the early 1900s), with a wire mesh covering that was coated with several layers of plaster. The original main floor features a grand foyer, meeting room, ballroom, dining hall, and sitting parlors. The second floor, which is accessed by dual staircases on either wall, was designed with dormitory style rooms for children and bedrooms for adults. The second floor also features a theater with original ticket booth, seats, upper projection and lighting room as well as changing rooms backstage. The building also features a full basement. The power house was located directly behind the main building and housed the boiler as well as the institution's laundry facilities.

History

Knights of Pythias

The Knights of Pythias, a fraternal organization, originally constructed the castle and detached power plant as a retirement home for needy members of the order and their widows and children. It was called ''The Pythian Home of Missouri''. Springfield was one of seven cities competing for the construction of the Pythian home and sold of land to the knights for $1 in 1909. It served as a meeting hall for the order until 1942.

WW II

In 1942, during World War II, the United States Military commandeered the facility for use in conjunction with the adjacent '' O'Reilly General Hospital'' in entertaining and rehabilitating injured U.S. troops. It was renamed ''The Enlisted Men's Service Club''. The facility featured a movie theater, ballroom, bowling alley, pool hall, library, and arts and crafts area. Some of the most famous movie stars, comedians, and entertainers of the era performed in the theater while the ballroom was host to big bands playing for the dancing pleasure of the troops. After the war the building was retained by the military for use as a reserve center until it was sold as surplus in 1993.

Present

It is now privately owned by Tamara Finocchiaro. Renovations have been completed to the property including a new driveway and parking area. In 2010 the castle was reopened to the public for tours and as an events facility.

References

External links

Pythian Castle
official site
National Register of Historical Places Registration

description by Springfield historian Richard Grosenbaugh {{National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Buildings and structures in Springfield, Missouri Knights of Pythias buildings Clubhouses in Missouri Clubhouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri Commercial buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Missouri National Register of Historic Places in Greene County, Missouri 1913 establishments in Missouri Buildings and structures completed in 1913