Rockwood Motor Court in Springfield reopens to overnight travelers

The historic Rockwood Motor Court has reopened to overnight travelers along old Route 66 in Springfield, Missouri.

Ozarks Alive has the story:

The project is the work of Phyllis Ferguson, a longtime Springfield resident whose mission is revitalization — and not only in form of the motor court, which in part dates to 1929, just three years after Route 66 began.
The work officially began in June, after residents were given a month’s notice to relocate. But with the work came something else — the shock.
Since the rooms were inhabited prior to signing the lease, inspections Ferguson was able to do were limited in scope. That fact led to conditions being even worse than Ferguson expected they would be.
“I pulled a sack of needles out of the wall,” she says of the first night of work. “If I had gone in and inspected thoroughly, I might not have done this project.”
But Ferguson is quick to note that “no one glamorized or hid anything” about the court. And once she was committed, she was committed.

Ferguson said the restoration isn’t complete, as a few cottages still need to be furnished.

When finished, the motor court at 2200 W. College St. (aka Route 66) will contain nine restored cottages with different themes — the Frisco railroad, Casablanca, Flanders Field, classic cars, motor courts and King of the Road.

The cottages come with wood floors and checkered tile but no televisions. It contains, however, high-speed Wi-Fi. (The historic Boots Court in Carthage, Missouri, comes to mind with similar pre-television amenities.)

Those who wish to stay at Rockwood Motor Court can call
(417) 827-2992 or check its Facebook page. It also will have a website at rockwoodcourt.com, but it isn’t live yet.

The cabins’ distinctive use of native rock in the walls strongly resembles the defunct Lurvey Courts, also in Springfield. Preservationists are trying to keep the city of Springfield from tearing down that long-closed property.

(Image of the Rockwood Motor Court in Springfield, Missouri, via Facebook)