Cahow Barber Shop

The Cahow Barber Shop is located in Chapman, Nebraska. It is a false-front building of frame construction with a gable roof and linteled door and window hoods, built in 1889. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places; its historical significance derives from its age, its architectural design, and its association with author-photographer Wright Morris.[3]

Cahow Barber Shop
View from the northwest; photographed in 2009 after renovation.
LocationSW Main St, Chapman, Nebraska
Coordinates41°1′26″N 98°09′30″W
Built1889
ArchitectNA
Architectural styleFalse-Front Building
NRHP reference No.84002493[1]
Added to NRHPJanuary 12, 1984[2]

History and description

The barber shop was built in 1889, but little else is known about its history until Luther Cahow (born in Stuart, Iowa) purchased the barber shop in 1902. He barbered in it for 47 years and sold it in 1949.[3]

It is rectangular, one-story, wood-frame structure with a false-front and gable roof. It has been restored by the Lone Tree Literary Society, preserving the original structure including the foundation of limestone runners and the original clapboard siding. It was constructed from May to December in 1889 and still stands on its original site. It was altered from two rooms to one by removing the interior wall dividing the original two rooms. The front half of the interior had the original interior replaced with dry wall while the back half retained the original wainscot and plaster. The three windows and three doors are original. The original contents of the building (barber chair, mirror and backboard, clock, barber sink, and benches) are housed in the Merrick County Museum in Central City.[3]

The Cahow Barber Shop is historically significant for several reasons. Perhaps the most important reason is its relationship to Wright Morris. It appears in his literary works and photographs,[4] and is where his father (William Henry Morris) first met his mother (Grace Osborn).[5] Architecturally it is significant, because it is one of the only remaining 19th century false-front buildings in Merrick County.[3][6]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Nebraska National Register Sites in Merrick County". Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  3. "Cahow Shop National Registry Form" (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society.
  4. "Barber's Chair, Cahow's Barber Shop, Chapman, Nebraska". Archived from the original on 2011-09-15. Retrieved 2012-12-30.
  5. "The Cahow Barbershop".
  6. Kay, John, Lonnie Dickson, Robert Kay, and Kathleen Fimple (1992). "Nebraska Historic Buildings Survey Reconnaissance Survey Final Report of Merrick County, Nebraska" (PDF). Nebraska State Historical Society: State Historic Preservation Office.
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