The Corrigan House: Historic Home For Sale in the Heart of Poplar Bluff

The Corrigan House, built in 1917, is on the national historical register for its stunning neo-colonial design. The house includes Missouri pink granite, old brick work, stained glass windows, limestone columns, a tiled roof, and brass gutters. The home is a unique environment and oasis with historic charm in the heart of Poplar Bluff, MO.

The Corrigan House has five bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a large, fenced backyard with two extra lots for family and pets, a swimming pool with an attached hot tube, sun porch, a detached granite-stone carriage house, a fully finished attic, a finished multi-room basement, and private, off-street parking. The front area features a library, formal dining room, patio, and sitting rooms.

Built in 1917, the house is well maintained.

The Corrigan Home was built in the Colonial Revival Style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its architectural value.

John and Effie Corrigan first lived in the next-door house facing Poplar Street with its shared driveway. After six children and financial success, the Corrigan’s had this home built from 1915 to 1917. The opening of the house was a community-wide event. The house survived the tornado of 1927, which left much of the downtown in ruins, and is still the 17^th deadliest tornado in US history.

The foundation is pink granite from Graniteville, Iron County, Missouri.  Limestone pillars and trim from Arkansas. Stained glass windows were handmade in St. Louis. This house was built so there is a continuous flow of air when the 3rd floor windows are open, making air conditioning unnecessary.

After John Corrigan died in 1961, his son, James lived here until around 1970.  Dr. L. J. Plunkett’s family lived here in the 1970’s. The home had some dark years in the late 1970’s, including its use as an illegal bordello.

John and Catherine Holland bought the house in 1981 and embarked on an extensive renovation project, which took several years.

John graduated from PBHS in 1955 and Mizzou in 1959. John spent 21 years in the Navy and retired as a Commander. John was a navigator and a decorated combat veteran from the Viet Nam war where he served as a counterpart to the South Vietnamese Navy in riverine warfare. When he returned to Poplar Bluff, he had a second career with the PB Schools. John was an avid traveler, runner, and hiker. He climbed Mts. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Elbrus in Russia.

Catherine graduated from PBHS in 1959 and Mizzou in 1963. She was a loyal military wife in a time when such a thing was not fashionable. She raised her family in California, Rhode Island, Virginia, and then back in Missouri. Catherine was intelligent and well-read, but was also warm, fun, and down-to-earth. She had an enigmatic mind and served in many community roles but especially the Poplar Bluff Public Library and the Margert Harwell Museum of Art.

Catherine passed away in 2016 and John in 2021. The Holland family has maintained the house as a local short-term rental and kept up all maintenance.