Embark on a self-guided adventure in Hannibal! You can walk OR drive and it’s free! Enjoy this historic homes tour – we will be posting another for the Maple Avenue Historic District soon!
Downtown Area & Central Park Historic District
Hannibal has many examples of 19th century homes. Some are restored and some are not. If you drive, please note the one-way streets. Start at Mark Twain’s home and follow the route. There are some hills to climb in the first half of the tour. House numbers are perpendicular to the street they face.
210 Hill St. Mark Twain Home 1844
211 Hill St. Becky Thatcher House 1840
303 N 3rd St. (Also Highway 79) Sculptor John Rogers lived in a house north of 303. It is gone. Examples of Rogers’s work are on display at the Mark Twain Museum.
311 Bird St. Draper-Stevens House 1854 Italianate – Zachariah Draper, Hannibal’s first postmaster, built this house. Benjamin Q. Stevens, one of Hannibal’s first dentists, lived here.
312 Bird St.
313 Bird St.
316 Bird St.
216-218 N 4th St. Nelson Double House 1901
212-214 N 4th St. Loomis Double House 1901 Queen Anne
210 N 4th St. Draper-Van Every Rental 1870 Vernacular
205-207 N 4th St. Prince-Four-Family House 1902 Queen Anne
213 N 4th St. Trinity Episcopal Church 1860 Gothic Revival
303 N 4th St. Stone-Hawes-Duffy House 1845 – This is thought to be the oldest brick house in Hannibal. Theopholis Stone moved to Hannibal in 1827, when only six other families lived in Hannibal.
305-307 N 4th St. Jones-Clayton House 1854 – Originally Federal
313-315 N 4th St. George Dubach House 1901 Queen Anne – George was the son of Frederick Dubach. Frederick gave this house to George and his wife.
312-314 N 4th St. McDonald Double House 1902 Queen Anne – The lot was the site of the United Presbyterian Church built in 1837. In 1859 it became the Court of Common Pleas. A fire that destroyed the house next door damaged the current house. It has been beautifully restored.
317 N 4th St. Long Schweitzer House 1892 Queen Anne – George Long was a machinist for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Theodore Schweitzer was president of the Hannibal Ice & Cold Storage. It is beautifully painted.
321 N 4th St. J.B. Brown House 1870 Italianate – J.B. Brown came to Hannibal in 1832. He built several houses in town with California Gold Rush money. Note the cast iron and wrought iron fences and the cupola on top. Brown’s Grandson, Dr. Barrett Brown, born in this house, became nationally known for his pioneering work in the treatment of burns during World War II.
400 N 4th St. J. Carroll Beckwith Birthplace 1859 Greek Revival – Beckwith was a world-renowned portraitist and friend of Mark Twain in later life.
407 N 4th St. Kerchival-Lakenan-Lathrop House 1844 Greek Revival – Robert F. Lakenan and John Lentner Lathrop were officers in the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. The Missouri towns of Lakenan, Lentner and Lathrop are all named for these two men.
402-404 N 4th St. Jefferson Brown House 1901 Colonial Revival – This is the most elegant turn-of-the-century multifamily dwelling. Jefferson Brown was the son of J.B. Brown.
409 N 4th St. Nathaniel Fuqua House 1846 Greek Revival – Fuqua was an early settler to Hannibal.
408 N 4th St. F.B. McElroy House 1850 Greek Revival
411 N 4th St. Hawkins-Bellard House 1853 Vernacular – Built by the brother of Laura Hawkins (Becky Thatcher)
414 N 4th St. James A. Nelson House 1881 Italianate
413 N 4th St. Hawkins-Marnell House 1853 Vernacular Greek Revival
420 N 4th St. Garth-Kealy House 1855 Greek Revival
423 N 4th St. Burger-Youse House 1843 Mixed/Greek Revival – This house has been altered many times and was heavily damaged by a fire in the 1980s. It has been restored.
322 North St. Van Swearingen-Dunn House 1844 – Thomas Van Swearingen was the first judge of the Hannibal Court of Common Pleas. Later owned by J.W. Dunn, the rector who saved Trinity Church from debt during the Civil War. Later Molly Brown’s sister owned it. Molly stayed here on her visits to Hannibal. She was headed to this house when the Titanic sank.
402 North St. Diel Cottage 1912 Vernacular
404-406 North St. Diel Double House 1910 Rectangular/Shingled
412 North St. W.A. Storrs House 1908 Queen Anne – Storrs was the son of George W. Storrs and took over the Storrs-Hinton Ice and Coal Company from his father. A 1996 fire destroyed the G.W. Storrs House next door.
422 N 5th St. Rowe-Brewington House 1870 Italianate – Built by lumberman Judge Joseph Rowe for his daughter Clara Brewington. The Italianate style was a favorite of Hannibal’s lumberman.
502 North St. C. Albert Trowbridge House 1855 Georgian Revival
414 N 5th St. Robert B. Honeyman House 1855 Federal – This was a large house for a pre-Civil War home. Honeyman, a carpenter and lumber dealer, ran this house as a boarding home.
415 N 5th St. Schackleford-Lafon House 1845 Greek Revival – Little is known of Schackelford but Lafon was a physician.
408-410 N 5th St. Daniel M White Double House 1854 – Vernacular/Greek Revival
409 N 5th St. North Dubach Rental House 1879 Italianate/Eastlake – Built by Frederick Dubach as a rental.
404-406 N 5th St. Burns Double House 1902 Queen Anne/Shingle – Built by Maria A. Burns as an investment.
401 N 5th St. South Dubach Rental 1879 Italianate – Built by Frederick Dubach as a rental. Houses built as rentals were built with great pride and some are Hannibal’s finest homes.
400 N 5th St. Col. Sherman T. Potter House 1922 Prairie – Although Sherman T. Potter of M*A*S*H fame was fictitious; research shows that if he were real, this is the house he would have lived in. 😉 The Potter character was from Hannibal. Also, the May Hogan House.
323 N 5th St. Howard Penfield House 1914 Craftsman – Penfield was superintendent of Hannibal Union Depot.
321 N 5th St. Louis P. Hill House 1918 Prairie
314-316 N 5th St. Edwin T. Bridgford House 1878 Italianate – Bridgford was a grocer.
313 N 5th St. W. B. Pettibone House 1889 Queen Anne – Built by the lumberman Pettibone, it is now Reagan’s Queen Anne Bed and Breakfast. Pettibone’s philanthropies include Riverview Park. The house has fine interiors.
312 N 5th St. John T. Davis House 1865 Italianate – Davis was part owner of the Illinois Ferry and became partners with John Garth in the lumber business.
310 N 5th St. Florence Grissa House 1924 Bungalow/Prairie
309 N 5th St. Dr. Guss House 1915 – William Cloyd Guss was a physician. This house is typical of the well-constructed houses of the early 20th century.
300 N 5th St. Fred Dubach House 1866 Originally Italianate – Remodeled into Hannibal’s most featureless building.
301 N 5th St. Pettibone-Trowbridge House 1896 Queen Anne – Built by Albert Pettibone, brother of Wilson B. Pettibone, the philanthropist. Now the Garden House B&B.
214 N 5th St. J.O. Green House 1895 Chateauesque – Green was a saloonkeeper and lumberman. It is the only Chateauesque house in Hannibal.
210 N 5th St. Carter-Frazer House 1877 Queen Anne – Laura Hawkins, alias Becky Thatcher, wife of Dr. Frazer lived and died in this house.
208 N 5th St. Richard-Chinn House 1850 Colonial Revival
111 N 5th St. Fifth Street Baptist Church
207 N 5th St. W.A. Munger House 1870 Federal – On Dec. 29th, 1888 Amos J. Stillwell attended a party here a few hours before his murder. Hannibal’s most famous murder is still unsolved. Official records say “Died from an axe blow to the back of the head”. Be careful where you party.
215 N 5th St. William C. Henn House. 1937 Art Moderne – This is the only all electric Henn house in Hannibal.
217 N 5th St. James H. Munson House 1860 Greek revival/Italianate
221 N 5th St. David Dubach House 1871 Mansarded Villa/Italianate – The Italianate Villa was built by Swiss lumberman David Dubach. Now the home of the Dubach Inn B&B.
504 Bird St. First Howard Penfield House 1902 Queen Anne Vernacular
506-508 Bird St. Sarah Jane Pitts Double House 1901 Queen Anne Vernacular – Built as an investment. This house was restored in 1994. It had been near death.
521 Bird St. Lamb-Munger House 1859 Italianate – This large house was built by Alfred Lamb, Vice-President of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad. Later Lyman P. Munger, co-worker of the Hannibal Lime Company, owned it. It is being carefully restored. It has the best cupola in town.
120 N 6th St. First Presbyterian Church
215 N 6th St. John L. Robards House 1871 Italianate – Robards, who built this large house, was a longtime friend of Mark Twain. Note the large cupola on top and the quoins at the corners of the house. Mark Twain visited here in 1902. Now it is the home of The Robards Mansion B&B.
221-223 N 6th St. 1879 Italianate
303 N 6th St. Marion Brown House 1854 Greek Revival – Brown, brother of J.B. Brown, built this house with Gold Rush money. Brown was Hannibal’s most prominent physician. Brown openly defied the Union Army. Also called the Admiral Coontz House because the Admiral was born here in 1864.
300 N 6th St. Frank P. Hearne House 1871 Italianate – Hearne was Joseph Rowe’s lumbering partner and father of Dr. Joseph Hearne, implicated in the 1888 unsolved murder of Amos Stillwell. The house is a private residence.
307 N 6th St.
306 N 6th St. Joseph Rowe House 1890 Second Empire – Lumberman Joseph Rowe built this house.
311 N 6th St.
308 N 6th St. Joseph Rowe House 1890 Italianate – Lumberman Joseph Rowe built this house as a rental.
Trinity Episcopal Church Rectory because it was the Trinity Church Rectory. Clever nomenclature.
313 N 6th St.
312 N 6th St. Boone-Nash House 1870 Vernacular
317 N 6th St.
314-316 N 4th St. Rowe Duplex 1893 Italianate – Lumberman Joseph Rowe built this house as a rental.
319 N 6th St.
323 N 6th St.
512 Hill St. Shackelford-Worrell House 1841 Greek Revival – Built before the Civil War, the brick on the front is a Flemish bond and the rest of the house is a common bond. Inside are ionic and covalent bonds.
401 N 6th St. Mrs. Benton Coontz House 1892 Queen Anne – Harness maker Robert Brewington died while he was having this house built. His daughter, Mary Benton, lived here and was the mother of Admiral Robert Coontz, Commander of the entire U.S. Fleet in the early 1900s.
403 N 6th St. Loudan-Byrum House 1895 Queen Anne
407 N 6th St. Bishop-Ure-Lesem House 1870 Italianate
412 N 6th St. Bonfils House 1892 Queen Anne
415 N 6th St. Helm South Rental 1855 Late Federal
416 N 6th St. Logan House 1892 Queen Anne
417 N 6th St. Helm North Rental 1855 Late Federal
420 N 6th St. Old High School 1862 Mixed Victorian – Also the Owsley-Logan House. A high school from 1866-1877 and 1881-1886. The Logan family was in the shoemaking business. This house contains features of many different house styles.
419 N 6th St. Kate Helm House 1869 Italianate – Probably built by John Helm for his widowed daughter-in-law, Kate, and her five children. John B. Helm was a judge, contractor, real estate agent, railroad director, and friend of Abraham Lincoln.
422 N 7th St.
412 N 7th St.
410 N 7th St.
408 N 7th St.
400 N 7th St.
318 N 7th St. Edward Harriman House 1894 Queen Anne – Harriman was a lumberman.
316 N 7th St. John Brooks House 1858 Vernacular Greek Revival – Brooks was a shoemaker.
312-314 N 7th St. Joseph Brinkman House 1895 Queen Anne – Brinkman was a dry goods merchant.
308 N 7th St. Robert Brewington House 1866 Italianate – Brewington was a harness maker and grandfather of Admiral Coontz. He also served as jury foreman of the grand jury that exposed the whiskey ring scandal during U.S. Grant’s administration.
306 N 7th St. Rowe Rental House 1881 Italianate – Lumberman Joseph Rowe built this house as an investment.
302 N 7th St. Rowe Rental House 1881 Italianate – Lumberman Joseph Rowe built this house as an investment. This is another example of the wonderful rentals that were built in the late 1800s.
300 N 7th St. James W. Plowman House 1885 Queen Anne – Plowman founded an insurance and real estate business that is still run by the family. The porch was added in 1910.
We thank Esley Hamilton and Karen Bode Baxter who did the inventories on many of the houses.
