Neal C. Davis Sites

Originally constructed as the Neosho Auditorium and City Hall, this is now known as "The Civic." It was built by the WPA in 1938. Like the nearby Newton County Courthouse, the civic center was constructed out of Carthage Stone in an Art Deco style. It was extensively renovated in 2008, but the Art Deco elements were preserved.

"Newton County chose St. Louis architect Neal C. Davis to design the fifth courthouse, funded by the Work Projects Administration. Other plans came from firms in Kansas City and Joplin, but the committee favored Davis, who originally came from Newton County. The court approved his plan in October 1935. The courthouse contract was let for $162,687, and the jail contract for $11,150. The jail was on top of the building. Construction began in April 1936. A memorial tablet replaced the traditional cornerstone, which was no longer a construction component, and ceremonies took place July 30, 1936. U.S. Senator Harry Truman, Grand...