by Grace Ayers
Around Rountree
Potter’s house – or Poho as its commonly known – is one of the several businesses in the Rountree neighborhood. Located, across from Missouri State University and on the corner of National and Grand, this beach-house-vibe coffee shop makes up the southwest corner of the Rountree/Walnut neighborhood. Though it’s often a college crowd at Poho, there are families here as well, on the night I visited mom and her son at a high table by the window playing cards, a lady with her baby carriage. Students cram behind high tables with their laptops. Poho is meant to serve the community; it hosts Bible studies and creates an environment where students can connect.
Since I’ve spent some time here before, I thought it would be the perfect place to spread my wings as I explore and get to know this community. On Saturday, Feb. 9, they had a Single’s Party, a way for people to hang out as friends and have some snacks and drinks. I asked a few students their thoughts on how Poho has impacted the community and the draw to this place. MSU student Colten Clair says Poho creates a great study atmosphere and is a place where students can strive for something greater. Other students say they love the community aspect and that it is a very welcoming place.
This welcoming environment always draws in students. Party aside, most of the time when I’m there it is usually pretty crowded and study spots are sometimes scarce. In an interview with The Standard in April 2018, owner Steve Proffitt said: “When we started, it was small enough where we knew everybody’s name. Now, we see over 1,000 students a week, and about one-fourth of the donation support we receive is from students.”
Jared Danielson, an employee at Potter’s House, also gave some insight on the traditions and characteristics, of the Rountree neighborhood. “It’s very walkable.” Danielson mentioned Cider Day’s, which is a Springfield favorite and how at Halloween is a big hit in Rountree as kids get all dressed up and do the candy thing. Christmas lights are also a big deal in Rountree. I called Mike Brothers, one of the admins for Rountree News, a community website that posts about updates on the committee. Brothers said: “Close knit. A lot of people know each other. Really traditional.” He said this might be an attributed to the porches; people sit on their porches, and they can talk to someone who’s walking a dog, out for a jog.
In the next post, I’m checking out Pickwick Street its current bike-ability and its history with the cable car.
Transportation History on Pickwick Street
Pickwick street has that icon look of a neighborhood as it was mentioned in the last post. As I walked the street, I saw many people out walking their dog, running or cycling.
I talked Jeff Anderson at Queen City Cycles which is on Pickwick, right next to Tea, Bar and bites and asked him more about the cycling scene on this street and the neighborhood. “It’s a good way to get around and makes it a little less congested,” said Anderson. “It’s just easier then getting in a car and it’s less maintenance, is cheaper than a car and it’s good for you.” Anderson said Queen City Cycles has been open for 15 years and at that location for two. Long before the cycling and jogger scene there was the Trolley scene.
Trolley’s are something strait out “Meet Me in Saint Louie” and gives the streets a timeless feel as it zips and rings down the line. Springfield had a trolley installed in 1890, being one of the first of five in the country to have electric cars according Richard Crabtree, a local realtor who’s hobby is documenting Springfield history and publishing it on his Facebook page, Missouri History, Landmarks & Vintage photography. He has been interviewed by KSMU on the subject, so I gave him a call. “There were five competing lines,” said Crabtree. One of these lines was the Kickapoo Transit Company it ran from Catalpa to Pickwick then up to Elm St. on to the Square then to Doling Park and back. “It made scene economically,” Said Crabtree, “to be able to get people to ramble back and forth, who didn’t have cars and horses, this was the quickest way into town.” Crabtree explained that at the time Pickwick was outside of town. Pickwick had several groceries stores and the trolley became a nucleus. having a street car there helped develop the school and neighborhood. “If it had not been for the street car I don’t know if that neighborhood would have developed as quickly,” said Crabtree.
Around 1910 there was a merger of the five lines to be managed by the city. Crabtree said there was too much involved as far as maintenance and in 1937 there was big push for buses, with a big part of the argument being that buses could go anywhere and if ice got on the wires it couldn’t run. Regardless, Crabtree said: “It was heavily use and people where sad to see it go. On last day they let everybody ride for free.”
In the next blog I will investigate the developing issue on zoning for houses that Rountree has established to make sure the neighborhood doesn’t get to overdeveloped to quickly.
Historical photographs are used by permission and certify of Richard Crabtree of Springfield, Missouri History, Landmarks & Vintage photography Facebook page.
New in the Neighborhood
Rezoning will bring buildings new changes to the corner of Cherry and Pickwick
The Roundtree neighborhood has some beautiful properties and with an
International Baccalaureate elementary school the property value is high. November of 2018 there was a bill passed to allow the installation of a pocket neighborhood on East Cherry. Now, there has been a bill passed for the rezoning of 1.8 acres of land on the by corner of Cherry and Pickwick street.
Cherry Pickers or Pickers as the residents call it is a little restaurant on the corner of Cherry and Pickwick, is a bustling hub in the heart of the neighborhood. Windy Garrison doesn’t live in Roundtree but she’s close by and she frequency the neighborhood. She knows the developers, the people involved with the developing process and said she thinks they would only do something that would benefit the community. Abigail Dairghi works at Tea Bar and Bites and she said, “It’s a growing community and it would be great to see more people around. Maybe more students.” Janet Rock and Chris are also optimistic about the new development. Rock said the neighborhood already has a mix of some student rentals and some family homes. The new developments are a great way to bridge the gap between students and older residence.
Abigail Dairghi working at Tea Bar and Bites said, “It’s a growing community and it would be great to see more people around.
Janet Rock and Chris are friends sharing a meal at Pickers. They said that they are optimistic about the new development.
Councilmember Tom Prater is a zone two representative who sponsored the bill for rezoning approval. Pater said, “It’s been a long time coming. We had to put the brakes on till we had a Rountree neighborhood plan.” That neighborhood plan is what Mike Brothers is the treasure of the Rountree committee and admin of their website, said, “we should have a say in what goes on, we should have a neighborhood plan so that there’s a shared vision and to give some guidelines.” So, when developers want to work in their neighborhood, they are all on the same page as far as expectations. That vision, for this rezoning is mixed use, sustainable design, green space.
However, that vision doesn’t come without obstacles. Jeremy Spinks works at Skulls a Ramon food truck parked right by the rezoned lot. He said that the benefits of rezoning would be an increase of foot traffic but with that comes a need for parking and even a crosswalk. In the amount of time that he’s worked there which has been under a year he said there have been two or three accidents and that he constantly hears cars honking. Brothers and Prater said that they are aware of these issues, but they understand it’s all part of a process.
Jeremy Spinks working inside the food truck thinks the new development will increase in foot traffic, but with that come with its own set of hurtles.
On at the intersection of Pickwick and Cherry, there is this crosswalk to cross Pickwick. However, to cross Cherry street a pedestrian has to watch and what for traffic to clear, which can be hard at this busy intersection.
Brother said, he didn’t want to give a diagnosis on how the traffic problem should be fixed, but he did know that a plan has been approved to narrow Pickwick which would help decrease traffic. Brother said he would hope that developers would think outside the box, and that there has already been approved to narrow the street, which should help with traffic some. The hope of the walkable part is that since more people will be living closer, they will walk in and they won’t need to drive or park.
These developments have been a long process and they have made some headway. But they aren’t of it yet, which is good because this in between time is good to work of some of that traffic-based logistics. You can see the pocket neighborhood plan here, and in March KTTS covered this story and had digital drawing so their listeners could see what the idea was, although there still isn’t a plan set in stone for sure on what happens with the empty lot on the corner of Cherry and Pickwick.
For a additional resources check out Ky3’s news coverage, there is also the Springfield city councils bills and ordinances, and the agenda
Rountree Elementary: Growing the Community
Rountree Elementary Growing the community
Rountree Elementary has been in operation since 1917, according to the school’s website. dedicated to Newton M. Rountree who served on the school board from 1884-1891 and his grandfather Joseph Rountree taught at the first school in Greene county which was a log cabin built in 1831. The website also refers to the school as “an anchor of the Rountree neighborhood.” This proves to be true by the way the staff talk about the school. The logo for the school is, “our school, our neighborhood.” The fifth-grade teacher Amy Hopkins said, “It is not just a logo, it is the truth.” Hopkins said that the community members are protective of the school and the neighborhood. “You don’t mess with Rountree, you can as me you can ask anybody and they will tell you, just don’t even bother messing with that neighborhood, they are very protective of our school and of the whole neighborhood.” Amy Patton has served as principal at Roundtree elementary for five years. Patton said, “I have nothing but good things to say about the school. “They really take you in it doesn’t matter if your part of the community or not they make you feel a port if it.”
I called Amy Patton for my interview, so she wasn’t there when I interviewed her staff but what she affirmed how the staff felt. Patton said that the school is really the central hub of the neighborhood. Kids come to hang out and play on the playground. “Everybody in the neighborhood is a huge supporter of the school”, said Patton. “Businesses offer space, financial support, donation, mentors for school projects, give us the opportunities to visit on field trips.” Patton said a very unique aspect of the schools’ dynamic is that, half the teacher walks to the school. When I visited the school, the former principal David Martin was filling for Patton for the day. Martian said a lot of the kids walk to school as well or they will walk with their parents or an older neighbor kid. “We will have some two and three generation families because a lot of times when people lock into this neighborhood they don’t want to move.” Hopkins family has a Rountree legacy as well. As her mother, herself and her kids have gone to the school and now she teaches there.
Patton said that the school is part of the International Baccalaureate. “We are the only contingent in Missouri where students can start kindergarten IB.”
Hannah Davis is studying Elementary Education and just finished her practicum on Friday. She affirms what Hopkins and Martin said about the school and how it engages with the community. Davis said that her practicum has its challenges. “But as far as Rountree as a whole, I think it’s a great school that really values it’s students. They love their community, they love their kids, the teachers here are quality teachers. It’s been cool to see a neighborhood school because I’ve never been in one before like this, I’ve never done another practicum like this. So seeing how it functions differently than just a regular public school.”
One big way the community invests in the school is by having an Opelousas each August to kick off the school year and raise money for the school, through very means, Hopkins said, “People donate a lot of great things, there’s a silent auction, sell food, a lot of the foods donated.” There is also live music and the talent will donate their time. This kind of event, which ends up, often raising a lot of money for the school is a great example of Rountree’s eager involvement to invest in the lives and education to its youngest community members.
This is my last blog post. I have really enjoyed getting to know the tight knit community of Rountree. It’s a beautiful neighborhood with a long and growing history. On a deeper note seeing the attentiveness to the needs and openness to change this neighborhood had was refreshing. In a world where often times it’s easy for people to become absorbed in their own world and what’s happening in their life it was great to see a community that works to better itself and its members thought supporting their education and their small businesses. It restored my faith in humanity. I am eager to watch this community adipate and change over the years, while still staying to their open-porch-stoop-nice-to-see-you-ice-tea-in-hand lifestyle.
Evangel News Reporting 