The Rapp Brother’s Building, constructed in 1910, continually operated as a barbershop for over 100 years. The original owners, the Rapp Brothers, Al and Ed Rapp, owned and worked in the building for more than fifty of those years, from 1910-1967, first moving to Siloam Springs in 1907. Typical of the period, the barbershop at one time had a “bathroom” where patrons could bathe in the back of the shop. Currently, the building is owned and operated by Pure Joy Ice Cream. 

The façade is an excellent example of historic preservation efforts, its form hardly altered since construction. Additionally, it is an exemplar of Siloam Springs vernacular commercial architecture of the early 20th century. A single-story brick building with a single leaf, off-set entrance, two stationary storefront windows, decorative transom windows, and decorative brickwork along the parapet. The transom windows are evocative of residential “cottage” windows of the 1900s-1920s and showcase a unique feature in downtown Siloam Springs. Due to the building’s historic integrity, it is considered contributing on the National Register to the downtown historic district.

For more information on this building’s history, contact the Siloam Springs Museum at Don@siloamspringsmuseum.com. For information on building improvement consultation, grants and tax credit opportunities, contact Main Street Siloam Springs at info@mainstreetsiloam.org. 

Event on Broadway, c. 1940, Siloam Springs Museum. 

Broadway looking northwest on Center, d. 2020, Main Street Siloam Springs.