Fame came to Springfield’s Rockwood Motor Court by way of Route 66. It’s long been known to Route 66 travelers, many who hail from across the country and around the globe, but a new level of light is shining on the vintage motor court: In November, it was added to Historic Hotels of America, a prestigious designation tied to the National Trust for Historic Preservation that puts it among about 300 of the country’s most notable properties.
Even just a few months ago, Rockwood owner Phyllis Ferguson didn’t expect her motor court — located on West College Street, and said to be the oldest operating on Route 66 — would qualify for such a designation. In a way, it came about by accident: She was searching online to ensure the motor court was listed on websites where travelers might find it, and stumbled upon the Historic Hotels page. She didn’t realize the significance of submitting it to the list when she filled out some information, but soon found out with an email reply.
Phyllis Ferguson owns the Rockwood Motor Court with her husband, Tim Phillips.
“A couple weeks later, I get an email from a woman at Historic Hotels with the trust,” Phyllis recounts. “She thanks me for the information I've provided on the Rockwood, and says, ‘Although we don't,’ — and then, in all capital letters, she writes, — ‘TYPICALLY look at lodging establishments such as yours, we are interested in the Rockwood because of its historical significance to Route 66 with the upcoming centennial, that importance.’”
That email led to a Zoom call with representatives. A few weeks later, she received an email confirming the Rockwood’s new honor, making it the only property in Missouri outside of St. Louis or Kansas City on the roll, and one of only two in the Ozarks. (The other is the Crescent Hotel in Eureka Springs, Arkansas.)
Rockwood Motor Court, a Route 66 landmark on College Street in Springfield, was inducted into the Historic Hotels of America in 2025.
“Many are the site of key events or meetings in regional, national or international history or have played host to famous figures, from heads of state and industry titans to writers and movie stars,” notes the program’s website. “Some hotels are also intertwined with the country's cultural history, either as venues or culinary hotspots.”
Phyllis describes reading that email as “overwhelming.”
“I think it's going to be a great opportunity for us,” she says. “I also think it's great for people who are tuned in to what's going on with the National Trust and Historic Hotels to kind of maybe say, ‘Oh yeah, Route 66 – this is going to be fun.’ It's a totally different experience as you're going to get, say, at the Plaza Hotel, but it's certainly going to be fun and it's going to be interesting.”
The “why” behind the Rockwood’s selection is different from some of the other Historic Hotels.
“Many are the site of key events or meetings in regional, national or international history or have played host to famous figures, from heads of state and industry titans to writers and movie stars,” notes the program’s website. “Some hotels are also intertwined with the country's cultural history, either as venues or culinary hotspots.”
Instead of fine dining, Rockwood’s native-stone cottages have snack baskets. It’s got a relatively small footprint, too. But the cultural history it represents is significant, especially as Route 66 landmarks — including in Springfield — are gradually torn down. A recent local example in 2025 was the demolition of the Rancho Court on Kearney Street.
Rockwood Motor Court dates to 1929. It became known by the Rockwood name in the 1940s.
“Every year we lose more icons on Route 66 – sometimes that's people, and sometimes that's buildings,” Phyllis says. “I mean, you can go through and look at, yes, people are always coming on and doing things, especially with the upcoming centennial to revitalize Route 66. But I’m someone who believes that not only do you learn from your history, but you need to honor it, too. Not taking care of places like the Rockwood or others is probably historically irresponsible, and it's irresponsible for our children.”
The Rockwood’s significance dates to the 1920s. The historic Mother Road was “born” in the Queen City in 1926 – when a telegram was sent from downtown Springfield requesting the Route 66 name – and three years later, the first iteration of the Rockwood came to be.
A collection of vintage license plates decorate the Rockwood.
The motel continued operation virtually ever since — but times changed and it did, too. Instead of nightly rentals for travelers, the distinctive native-stone destination housed tenants seeking short-term rentals.
That’s where Ferguson and her husband, Tim Phillips, came into the picture. The couple purchased the aging motor court to turn back the clock, and transform the landmark back into overnight housing for travelers coming through town.
“The reason why we started this was because I wanted to preserve this little motor court," she says. “I didn't know it was the oldest. Didn't know that one day it would be sitting at the table with some of the Big Boys. I just saw it as an old Route 66 motel that was somewhere close to the end of its life cycle but still had good bones and needed a turnaround.”
Those bones might have been strong but what they held was rough. It’s an understatement to say the motor court needed a lot of work to make it habitable. Ferguson, however, had experience: The former Zone 1 city councilwoman and champion for north Springfield had experience in historical preservation projects. She also believed in its mission, leading it to open in early 2020.
The Rockwood’s cottages (and vintage gas station) offer unique, themed places to stay.
That’s when I first met Phyllis. I visited her in late 2019 to do an article about the revamped motor court. It took months of work to get the landmark ready to reopen, but once she decided to tackle the project, she was in:
"My mom and dad said, 'If you're going to do something, do it right,'" she told me back then. Now, that preservation mission is the same — but a reward Phyllis says she didn’t expect is the people.
“It was part of a revitalization for this neighborhood and this area. That was my main focus,” she says today. “That's what we looked at doing to stabilize it and bring it back around and get it open for tourists so they could appreciate it, too. The component that nobody ever told me about was the people. I mean, the people who come here are amazing. They are so nice, so sweet. Many of the Route 66 travelers just love Route 66 and that the Rockwood’s here now. They appreciate that so much.”
Those guests stay in themed rooms like “It’s All in the Movies,” a room dedicated to stars of the vintage Silver Screen; the “Rockwood Cottage,” a throwback to the original days of motor courts; the “White Cliffs of Dover,” decorated with military memorabilia and history books; and “Fill ‘Er Up,” the motor court’s restored vintage gas station.
“When you're caretaking one of these places like this — any of these iconic locations — you feel a sense of responsibility to maintain it and keep it in good shape so it will be here into the future,” Phyllis says. “But then when you realize that you're taking care of the oldest one — to me, that felt like, ‘Geez, we can't mess anything up here.’”
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