Repairs to the hail-damaged architectural neon lighting at the Boots Court motel in Carthage, Missouri, will begin by mid-July after Route 66 enthusiasts donated more than $4,100 for the project.
Ron Hart of the Route 66 Chamber of Commerce on Friday presented a check for $4,113.41, representing the proceeds of a GoFundMe campaign after a freak hailstorm damaged 90 percent of the neon tubing at the Route 66 motel and “putting a heavy financial burden” on its owners. The total cost of repairing the damage was estimated at more than $5,000.
According to a news release from Hart:
The green neon was originally installed in 1939 when the Boots Court was constructed, and over the years, the neon’s glass tubing was damaged by the elements and was not repaired. The new owners received matching funds from the National Park Service’s, Route 66 Corridor Grant Program last year to restore the Neon, and the stunning ‘Green Glow’ was once again drawing sightseers and photographers almost every evening. In a few more weeks, that Neon should be glowing once more.
The Boots Court was built in 1939 by Arthur Boots. Actor Clark Gable stayed there several times; he rested his head at Room No. 6.
The Boots was renamed the Boots Motel during the 1950s. The motel came close to being knocked down in the early 2000s when its ailing owner sold it to a local developer. Speculation ran rampant the motel would be razed for a Walgreens. But outcry from preservationists scared off developers.
The current owners bought the property in 2011 and reopened it to overnight guests in 2012 after months of renovations. They still are restoring the motel.
(Image of a pre-hailstorm Boots Court motel in Carthage, Missouri, courtesy of Ron Hart)
While it’s nice that the Route 66 community stepped up for the owners, it doesn’t excuse their decision to not carry insurance on the neon nor built a protective ledge above the neon. What happens next time there is a hail storm? Or a branch falls off a nearby tree? Or vandals decide to wreck the neon?
I visited Carthage back on Thursday, June 1 and looked at the damage. The glass tubes on the north side were broken to bits, while largely intact on the south side. So the figure of 90% damaged seems like a serious exaggeration, reflected by a relatively low amount ($5,000) for the fix. The original grant of $20,000 from the National Park Service was matched by $20,565 cost-share by the owners. $40,000 to install but $5,000 to fix? Not 90% damaged. See link: https://www.ncptt.nps.gov/rt66/2015-cost-share-grants-announced/