Feb. 27, 2026, 4:10 p.m. CT
On Feb. 26, during the centennial of Black History Month, Springfield’s African-American Heritage Trail unveiled and dedicated its 11th marker adding local context to national history.
The newest stop on the trail is in front of Kentwood Hall, which was formerly the Kentwood Arms Hotel — a hotel that started as segregated and then was desegregated twice, once following a visit from then-Vice President Richard Nixon.
“This centennial year calls us to remember that Black history is not simply a reflection of where we have been, but a guidepost for the work still before us. It affirms that our progress has always come through collective courage, community leadership and the unwavering pursuit of justice,” said Kai Sutton, president of the Springfield NAACP. “We also extend our deep appreciation for the African-American Heritage Trail marker at Kentwood Hall, a site that mirrors the long struggle for public accommodation in the United States. … Its presence reminds us that the right for equal access was not abstract, it was lived local and hard-won.”
Kentwood, now a residence hall for Missouri State University, opened in 1926 at 700 E. St. Louis St. As a hotel, it hosted notable guests including Bob Hope, President Harry S. Truman and President Ronald Reagan.
As the heritage trail members worked to research the history, it became clear that the dormitory’s time as a hotel and its influence on the community was more than a memory. For some, like trail organizer Wes Pratt, it was a lived experience: Pratt’s father, Henry Pratt Sr., was one of the first African-American chefs to work at the Kentwood after its second desegregation.
“It is more than simply a sign. It represents the history of people who lived, loved, earned and learned here in Springfield, Missouri, and many of them who are no longer with us,” Wes Pratt said.
Lyle Foster, an associate professor at MSU and a heritage trail organizer, said Pratt’s story is part of why it was so important to have a marker at Kentwood.
“This is not ancient history, this is living history,” Foster said.
The hotel’s location on Route 66 is also notable, making it the site of many National Highway 66 meetings, which emphasizes the connectivity of the trail. The Kentwood Hall sign as well as Alberta’s Hotel and Graham’s Rib Station and Modern Motel Court will have special markers designating them as special locations in the city that have a tie-in to the iconic road.
“In order to share a more complete picture, we are working with the City of Springfield to highlight the experiences of African-Americans in particular as they navigate or navigated Route 66,” Foster said. He also hinted at the possibility of an exhibit that would “highlight the experiences of African-American travelers on Route 66.”
In 2026, the trail is planning on adding markers commemorating a Black community on the east side as well as the Bartley-Decatur Center, which operated as a hospital for Black residents, a Black veterans convalescent home and a daycare at different points in Springfield’s history.
