Since 1836
Clinton Square Historic District
Established in 1836 and named after New York Governor DeWitt Clinton, the town grew around a courthouse square that is now the largest in Missouri. In 2007, the Clinton Square Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with 64 historic Victorian and Italianate buildings across about 10 blocks.
Stories of the square
- DeLozier BuildingHenry County's first bank and the first Clinton Post Office.
- Clinton Square Historic District64 historic Victorian and Italianate buildings around the 1893 courthouse.
- Creative PaintsOnce a grocery and one of the first J.C. Penney stores in Missouri.
- Keil's Jewelry StoreA family jeweler on the square for four generations, from 1870 to 2008.
- White Flower Quilt ShopFormer Odd Fellows lodge, with an 1870 cornerstone.
- Serenity SpaA 1906 cigar factory, now home to the Clinton Main Street office.
- "They Stood Tall" Civil War MemorialA bronze of Union and Confederate soldiers by Wayne Hyde.
- Dody LegacyBuilt for physician John H. Britts, with ironwork shipped from St. Louis.
- "Never Forget" 9/11 MemorialA steel artifact from Ground Zero, dedicated September 11, 2011.
- National Humane Alliance FountainA granite water fountain for horses, dogs, and cats.
- Henry County BandstandA World War I memorial where Harry Truman once spoke.
- Simes Shoe StoreHome to shoe stores for nearly a century; the shelves are still there.
- Glasscock Jewelry CornerBuilt as a bank in the 1880s; the vault is still inside.
Then and now
Since 1989, Clinton Main Street has helped champion improvements that keep downtown welcoming and active, supporting rehabilitation efforts and façade renovations that reinforce the district's historic identity while inviting new investment.
Have old photos of the square? Send them our way.