Historic Poteau Walking Tour

Take a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown Poteau to see charming buildings, street facades and surviving examples of pre-statehood architecture.  The narrow, downtown streets of Poteau closely resemble a New England village and are flanked on each side with rows of historic buildings.  Walk down the streets of Poteau and take your pick from restaurants, boutiques and antique stores.  Although the historic highway that once fueled Poteau's downtown was eventually rerouted, the city's downtown district is thriving and experiencing a resurgence.  Make sure to stop ...

Take a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown Poteau to see charming buildings, street facades and surviving examples of pre-statehood architecture.  The narrow, downtown streets of Poteau closely resemble a New England village and are flanked on each side with rows of historic buildings.  Walk down the streets of Poteau and take your pick from restaurants, boutiques and antique stores.  Although the historic highway that once fueled Poteau's downtown was eventually rerouted, the city's downtown district is thriving and experiencing a resurgence.  Make sure to stop at 300 Dewey, the home of Warehouse Willy's.  This building was built in 1909 and the second floor, renovated into an elegant home, has been featured on HGTV.

Historic Downtown Poteau is home to eight historic buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Lowry Hotel, located at 301 Dewey,  was built in 1922.  Each room had its own bathroom, and a restaurant was located on the ground floor during World War II.  The building is the future home of the Lowry Museum. The post-World War II years were great times in downtown Poteau.  In the 200 block residents could go to the movies, buy clothes and even go to the soda fountain at the Poteau drugstore. 

Poteau is very proud of Main Street's history and promotes and contributes to its restoration.  A new streetscape project is planned for 2010.