The Old Stagecoach Stop is still a part of the square in Waynesville with frontage on Lynn Street, just east of Waynesville Courthouse. The building itself is the oldest remaining building in Pulaski County with a vast history.
In 1854, William Walton McDonald purchased the land in which the Old Stagecoach Stop building resides. McDonald held many roles for the town of Waynesville, such as postmaster, circuit clerk, and running the stageline’s waystation. Before the building was credited for being a stagecoach stop, it is believed the building would have been referred to as the Waynesville House' and/or also the McDonald Building.
Can you imagine walking on what geographers referred to as the interior ridge, an ancient pathway where mastodons once walked and where Native American Indians traded with white traders?
The building was originally built as a double-pen log building. The Stagecoach Stop ran along the St. Louis-Springfield routes through the 1850s and 1860s until the Pacific railroad in 1869 became a faster and cheaper way to travel. In 1870, the Stagecoach Stop property was sold.
Throughout the push for industrialization and the railway expansion, there was also a Civil War. During the Civil War, Union troops built a fort on a hill above Waynesville, and it is believed the building was commandeered as a hospital for the wounded Union soldiers.
Surviving through the Civil War and weathering Industrialization, we can question whether the McDonald Building, the Waynesville House, The Stagecoach Stop and hospital would survive Reconstruction? The building was also used as a hotel known as the Johnson House, Black Hotel, and Tourist Hotel (all within several years). The second story was added in 1876, and the exterior of the building as it is recognized today closely resembles what it would have looked like 146 years ago.
Over the years, ownership has changed hands multiple times. There are 38 transfers of title documented. From the erecting of the second story to the additional extensions added, the building served the community with fidelity, even being acknowledged with a place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, though through its service the building required maintenance and over time it appeared the building was less remembered for its historical nostalgia but more a community eye sore. The building foundation weakened, trees overgrew, banister rails were missing, paint flaking and the building showing its true age. In1982, after being vacant for over a decade, the old hotel was slated as condemned and was to be demolished.
The condemnation of a historical relic was not a consideration for Maxine Farnham. Farnham knew the rich history of the building and could not let it be forgotten. She led the negotiations to purchase the Old Stagecoach Stop and became the driving catalyst behind saving the building and the history within it. Her intention was to give it back to the people of Waynesville for preservation. She was even awarded the 1984 Waynesville-St. Robert Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year for her effort.
“It was not by ourselves that we achieved, but with others,” was her message. There will be no truer words for the complete restoration and reopening of the Old Stagecoach Stop.
Farnham knew that once you stepped inside the Old Stagecoach Stop you would be vested and feel a connection, almost an ownership of the past.
In June 8, 1983, The Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation was established with the purpose “To preserve, restore, protect, and maintain the historic structure in Waynesville, Missouri known as the Old Stagecoach Stop in order to permit its educational value to be appreciated by future generations...”
The first order of business as promised to the community was the stabilization and exterior renovation. The complete restoration process would not have been possible without as Farnham said, “...achieved with others.” Donations and fundraising events organized by the board of directors rallied with the support of the community to pay off the $39,000 in debt of the building within three years. The first order of fundraising was a public auction held during the Old Settlers Day Picnic in 1985.
The foundation's goal was to restore one room of the Old Stagecoach Stop a year with a deadline of having one completed by the Old Settlers Days and ready for tours. Each restored room resembles what the building used to be. McDonald Cabin 1854, A Tavern/Post Office 1860, Civil War Hospital room 1862-1885, Black Hotel 1915, Dental Office 1935-1941, Sleeping Room 1941 and a 1950 apartment.
The community did not stop its support of seeing this historic relic be restored and free of debt. Help came from memberships, the 39’er Club and Mid-America Motorcycle Club, as well as local businesses, concessions from the Harvest Festival and Whitmore Farms.
The efforts of restoration continued, and as any project has its ups and downs, there became a problem getting volunteers to help with the excavation of the Old Stagecoach Stop foundation.
At the September 1989 board meeting permission was requested to have the LEAP students of Waynesville Middle School excavate the foundation of the Old Stagecoach Stop for archaeological purposes. The students had already been volunteering with the University Missouri and the United States Forest Service on other archaeological sites.
The board approved, and 29 seventh and eighth grade students began digging beneath the building. LEAP students remained active in the excavation process, charting and cataloging their discoveries. The students' historical finds include pieces of history in broken China, marbles, glass syringes, buttons, hair barrettes and more, all which remain on display in the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation and Museum. Included is live media footage from the 1989 KY-3 excavation coverage, shown with student interviews in the archaeology room.
The LEAP students not only partook in the excavations underground but they were an integral part of the renovations on the inside. They removed drywall, repurposed beadboard from other rooms and wrote their own scripts in which they give tours to classes and provided local history of the town and building.
There is so much more history and stories which lie within the walls of the Old Stagecoach Stop. Bringing history to life would not have been possible without the efforts and dedication of Jan and Terry Primas. They have been and continue to be the driving force behind the restoration of The Old Stagecoach Stop. They have dedicated many hours, personal time and money and have brought the Old Stagecoach Stop to life, to what it is today.
“The Old Stagecoach Stop is a part of my life,” Jan Primas said. “It has been an exciting journey throughout the years, it would not have been possible without the volunteers, and the community involvement. This is a part of history that will last lifetimes.”
The Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation and Museum is completely run on a volunteer basis. It costs $7,500 a year to keep the building running. The majority of revenue is through donations and advertising through the Gazette. The Gazette is a free publication composed of the history of Waynesville. It is published once a year and is available at local events, from the Old Settlers Days to Christmas on the square. Previous publications are available online beginning in 1983 with stories dating as far back as late 1800s.
“I am in awe of the history here, we are very proud of our history and the ability to bring it to life,” said Jeanie Porter, president of the Old Stagecoach Stop.
As preparation for this story began, sitting at the table in the Tavern Room, visitors peer through the windows. Visiting from Texas for a graduation, this family was told of the Old Stagecoach Stop and were welcomed in for a tour. Nearly 15 minutes after they had signed the guestbook and left, a family from France traveling Route 66 to Los Angeles heard about the historical relics that reside inside and asked to see.
Although the tour season will end in September, the Old Stagecoach Stop will continue to be a part of events in the square, including Christmas on the square. Previous years they served 600-900 people hot chocolate and shared stories of Waynesville’s past.
The Old Stagecoach Stop is rich in history. It is a true experience in history. Every door you open will instantly take you back in time. Only then will you begin to experience an instant connection to the nostalgic time before railroads, before Route 66 was known as Route 66, through reconstruction and reliving the excavation and restoration of history.
There is so much more to the history of Waynesville. It is encouraged to pick up a copy of Terry Primas book “Doorways to the Past - The History of the Old Stagecoach Stop and the Old Stagecoach Stop Foundation Waynesville, Missouri.” It will inspire you to want to know more about the history here in Waynesville and Pulaski County.
The Old Stagecoach Stop has a dedicated board of directors and volunteers who make what they do for the building and community possible. Tours are available April through September on Saturdays ,10a.m.-4 p.m. Hours are limited due to the time the volunteers have. However, groups are welcome during the week through reservations.
The Old Stagecoach Stop is located at 106 Lynn St, Waynesville, MO 65583. To set up a group tour call (573) 336-3561. Visit its website www.oldstagecoachstop.org and explore history through the Gazette.
