SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - A historic building along Route 66 has been demolished after the city granted the owner of the Rancho Court Motel a demolition permit.

The city declared the building at 1544 East Kearney a nuisance as part of the demolition permit process. The structure was one of the last remaining examples of Giraffe Stone architecture, characterized by large rocks on the building’s exterior.

John Sellars, executive director emeritus of the History Museum on the Square, called the demolition a “sad loss.” He said the building was one of a kind and that it’s unlikely any new structures will be built in the same architectural style.

It’s believed the Rancho Court Motel is among the final remnants of the distinctive Giraffe Stone construction method that once dotted the historic

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