High Street properties first Golden Hammer winners of year

The newly renovated 106-108 E. High St. has been named the year's first Golden Hammer recipient.
The newly renovated 106-108 E. High St. has been named the year's first Golden Hammer recipient.

The newly renovated 106-108 E. High St. has been named the first Golden Hammer recipient of 2017.

This is the 10th year for the Historic City of Jefferson's effort to recognize historic preservation through rehabilitation of existing properties.

The Missouri Independent Bankers Association restored the facade, uncovered and replaced windows and renovated the first and second floors.

"This is another wonderful example of bringing back the original building faade through the City of Jefferson's Faade Improvement Program," Laura Ward, chair of the Golden Hammer Committee, said. "(The committee) has been fortunate to be able to recognize several of our downtown business owners, who have enhanced the aesthetics of their historic buildings through this program."

Neighbors 115 E. High St. and 220 E. High St. were both recognized with a Golden Hammer Award in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

"Historic buildings are part of our community's past and can offer so many opportunities moving into our future," Ward said. "We are very fortunate to have a beautiful historic downtown that we continue to see revitalization occurring."

This site, at the southeast corner of Jefferson and High streets, first saw a frame building in 1857, called The Jefferson House. Dr. Tennessee Mathews and Dr. Webb opened the 47-room hotel, which was later adapted as a school.

Louis Lohman replaced it with his store in 1878. He later added the opera house.

The Schleer Shop opened before 1897.

Ferdinand Schleer immigrated to the U.S. at age 16 in 1857. Trained as a tinsmith, he began his hardware business in 1871 with George Watts. Eight years later, he bought out his partner.

Ferdinand died in 1900, leaving his wife, Emma, and six children ages 12-23. Three sons also were tinsmiths working in their father's shop.

The Schleer brothers bought the property in 1911 and continued to operate as Schleer Brothers Hardware until 1984.

After 93 years, the property changed hands from the Schleer family to a corporation in 2004. The bankers association bought it in 2015.

Other occupants of 108 E. High were Aetna Finance Co., Cottonstone Gallery and Divinity Religious Gift Shop.