The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Freight House

The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Freight House. 101-123 W. 22nd Street, Kansas City, Missouri. Built in 1887 for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, the expansive brick building, known in Kansas City as the "Freight House," was originally used as a freight terminal for the historic rail line. The combination freight and office facility was one of the first significant properties constructed in the area and quite possibly remains as the only surviving 19th century freighthouse in Kansas City, Missouri. Measuring approximately 500 feet long by 40 feet wide, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Freight House has also been the location of several other prominent enterprises through the years, including Nichols Wire Sheet and Hardware Company and Bevington and Basile, a beer distributorship purchased by Downtown Wholesalers, an affiliate of the Schlitz Brewing Company. However, its most important association is with the Milwaukee Road, as the railroad company responsible for its construction came to be known., Designed to handle constant loading and unloading of cargo, the one story extension accommodated train activity at its south side, while teams of horses and wagons received and delivered merchandise at the north façade of the Freight House along 22nd Street. Typical of railroad architecture, the wide freight doors were constructed at an even level with box cars and wagons to allow for ease of operation. While the office space at the east end of the Freight House originally featured a modestly embellished interior, the freight-handling portion remained unfinished. Characteristic of most freight depots, the Milwaukee Road freight facility features an exposed stone foundation to guard the brick exterior from being marred by loose cargo. Over the years, the original design of the Freight House was altered due to fire damage and extensive remodeling, the latest occurring in 1996 and 1997, respectively.