Aside from hotels and luxurious landmarks in Excelsior Springs, residential gems whisper remnants of the area’s mineral springs past. Of these homes, the Hiawatha House, at the southeast corner of Linden Avenue and East Excelsior Street, may be the most iconic, as it housed a one-of-a-kind soda mineral well on the property.
Architecture and Construction
The home, a 2 ½-story Queen Anne-style residence, rests as one of the last intact boarding houses within Excelsior Springs. According to VisitExcelsior.com, “The Hiawatha was constructed in 1905–06,” and is also “one of the few examples of the Queen Anne style architecture” within the community.
Constructed with a three-story tower, wrap-around porch, and original stained glass windows, the Hiawatha Boarding House is a visual anchor within the Boarding House District. The home belongs to a neighborhood that once defined the area’s identity, combining healing and hospitality.
Dr. C.H. Munsell and Early History
A typescript uncovered through Missouri State Park Historical Records indicates Dr. C.H. Munsell, the owner of the Citizens Telephone Company, built the home. He purchased the property in 1905 for $2,000. The typescript cited, “The house was built circa 1907 to replace a one-story house that shared the lot with a 1 ½ story house facing Fredrick Street.”
Dr. Munsell then erected the Queen Anne decorated home, featuring a pyramidal roof with interconnected gables and dormers, and a three-story polygonal tower with ornate decorative elements, which culminated in the highest point of the home.
Architectural Details
At the foundation, the home was placed on a stone foundation and was covered with asbestos shingles. The porch was constructed with supports of square wood columns wrapping around the front and sides of the residential home, showcasing a tower-like gesture to welcome guests.
Meanwhile, each story of the property was likewise decorated with charm as the first story of the home featured four bay windows, including a stained-glass window and storm-door entryway. The second story and upper gable were crafted with vinyl windows with one Palladian window framed by bargeboard trim.
Yet, today, despite including more modern updates, Missouri State Parks’ historical documents affirmed that “the home still retains sufficient integrity to be considered a contributing resource,” and remains a part of Excelsior Springs History.
The Excelsior Soda Well
Nonetheless, it’s not just the architecture that captures the historical integrity of the community, as through time, many people stepped through the Hiwatha Boarding House front porch seeking health and healing. VisitExcelsior.com noted that the home included one of seven mineral water springs or wells located within the boarding house district, namely the Excelsior Soda Well.
“The Excelsior Soda Well is marked with a red handled pump on the north side of Hiawatha House, located at 101 Linden between Broadway and Excelsior Street, in the Boarding House Historic District,” noted VisitExcelsior.com.
Deep inside the well, soda water containing sodium bicarbonate rested within the depth of the ground. The water was believed to neutralize stomach acid and relieve ailments such as indigestion, rheumatism, and gout.
Missouri State Parks added that those visiting the Hiwatha Boarding house would walk from their rooms to the wells with a cup in hand, seeking the healing properties from the water, making the home more than just a place to stay but a place to find relief and healing.
Shifting Ownership
In 1908, the Excelsior Springs City Directory listed Mrs. Ida Munsell as the manager of the Hiwatha Boarding House, but over time, the property began to change ownership. By 1913, James B. Hyde purchased the property for $9,000 and continued to operate the home as a boarding facility. However, seven years passed, and the home was sold once again, this time for $15,000 to Bessie Bishop.
Under Bishop’s lead, the property operated as a boarding facility until 1922, when it was sold once more to Harris Moore and Ina Brown of Illinois, who struggled to operate the facility, hiring on-site managers to try and continue its operation.
By 1930, the house was eventually sold at a Trustees Auction to W.J. James and H.J. Clark. Yet in 1938, the Directory then recounted multiple occupants of the home, including John J. Claggart and Mrs. Judith Snow.
Conversion to Nursing Home
In 1942, the records indicate that Sultana Sharp purchased the home and left the boarding house industry behind, converting the property into a nursing home. According to Missouri State Parks, Sharp made various changes to the interior of the property, such as updating the kitchen and bathrooms, as she kept the past alive in the home. Although it no longer housed visitors, she continued helping those in need.
It wasn’t until 1985 that the Hiwatha Boarding house, which had turned into a nursing home, was sold as a residential property, no longer operating as a local business for tourists and those in need of long-term care.
The Boarding House District
The Hiwatha Boarding House still stands in the heart of Excelsior Springs, illuminating the shadow cast on the area’s Boarding House District. According to Missouri State Parks records, “Boarding houses and apartments were built in Excelsior Springs to accommodate the less affluent visitor, or for those clients that needed more affordable long-term rental housing for medical treatments lasting several weeks or months.”
The district’s period of significance spanned from the early 1900s through 1963, as boarding houses served those seeking health and tourist attractions until federal regulations cracked down on the community, “of being prohibited from advertising its mineral waters as medicinal cures.”
Although the community no longer hosts guests in the historic boarding homes lining the streets of what was once a thriving boarding house district, the area still preserves its historical character. As Missouri State Parks noted, Excelsior Springs has the highest concentration of apartments, boarding houses, and single-family homes that supplement income by renting rooms.
Economic Impact and Legacy
In 1903, the local newspaper reported that tourists and health-seeking visitors spent nearly $30,000 a week in the community, leading to boarding houses like the Hiawatha Boarding House helping local families supplement their incomes.
Today, the Hiawatha House is privately owned, but it will always be remembered as more than just a home, as its stained-glass windows still catch glimpses of light on Linden Street. Meanwhile, the porch still curves around its tower as the modest red handle pump remains upright, symbolizing those who created memories within the Excelsior Springs community and found healing in the waters below its surface.
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