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816 E. Armour
Boulevard
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In 1893, Kirkland Armour constructed a mansion on the northeast corner
of Armour and Warwick, which started an influx of the influential and
prosperous to this area of Kansas City. Samuel E. Sexton, Principal of
the Hucke & Sexton Construction firm, joined the group in 1905 when he
built this French Beaux Arts mansion of buff brick and stone. The
odd-sized bricks used in the construction of this home are distinctly
different from most in Hyde Park; each brick measures approximately 1
1/2 by 14 inches, which accentuates the horizontal lines of the home.
The surround of the large mahogany fireplace in the living room mimics
the exterior buff brick with its 3 by 8-inch tile. The entryway
of this mansion is different form many Hyde Park homes in that it
includes a set of closets. Another difference is the presence of an
original first floor bathroom. Most Hyde Parkers have had to add these
amenities to their homes. In the 1930s, the house was converted into
seven apartments and rooms for rent. Restoration began in 1992. |
3534 Cherry Street
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This handsome red brick residence, built in the modified Romanesque
Revival tradition, is one of several original duplexes located
throughout Hyde Park. It was designed by C.M. Jesperson and built by the
Agee-Block Home & Investment Co., in 1921. It has both arched and
rectangular windows trimmed with buff brick and white stone and an
arched chimney in the center of the roof. One of the earliest tenants of
what was originally a builder’
s tract house was F.G. Punton, president
of Punton Brothers Publishing Company and very active socially in Kansas
City in the 1920’s and 1930’s. |
3261 Gillham Plaza
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Earliest records indicate that water was turned on in this house at the
instigation of Marvin J. Pringle in 1897, although the style suggests
that the structure itself may date from the 1870’s. The home’s initial
address was listed simply as the “northeast corner of 33rd and Locust”
(as Gillham Plaza was knows in those days). During the 20s and 30s, John
and Lena Reinhardt owned the house, then recorded as 3263 Gillham Plaza,
and operated a bakery on an adjacent property at 508 E. 33rd Street. It
was not until the late 1940’s that the home acquired it current address
of 3261 Gillham Plaza. Just days before the home was to be reduced to a
vacant lot it was purchased to be restored. The bracket on the third
floor gable is the only exterior feature original to the house, which in
style evokes memories of small-town American Victorian. Rolled asphalt
siding was removed to reveal horizontal lap siding. Original etched
glass adorns the front door and a specially designed matching transom. |
3605 Gillham Road
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Built for R.N. Spivey in 1888-89, this juxtaposition of Queen Anne and
Dutch colonial revival house was one of seven houses constructed on the
same block at the same time, by the same builder, E.H. Bouton for
$13,400. Each was distinctively styled with towers and wood shingles,
but only two others remain standing in the 3600 block of Locust.
Throughout the house, the windows and doors are not standard, of
differing heights and widths, adding character and charm to the home.
The house was sold to Lina Spivey in 1890 for $13,500. Over the years, a
series of owners added to the structure and after 1931 the city
directory recorded multiple tenants at the address.
The
Historic Kansas City Foundation saved this house from demolition by
purchasing it in 1977. It had been vacant for two years and extensively
vandalized. All of the original fixtures were gone, the doors wouldn’t
close and the roof kept out little more than the sunshine. First to go
was an out of character porch addition, followed by the roof and
truckloads of debris, which had stood ankle-deep across the first floor.
Interior walls were rebuilt and exterior ones tuck-pointed.
Originally, three fireplaces proved heat to the six bedrooms and all
three floors. The solid mahogany mantel in the music room was recycled,
along with almost all brass hardware, from one of the original six
houses by the same builder. The most outstanding feature of the house is
its 3-story circular stairway encased by the exterior tower. In addition
to repairs, the staircase as enhanced by the addition of stained glass
designed to capture the movement of light thorough the window. |
3821 Gillham Road
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Secluded by magnificent trees and a massive brick wall, 3821 Gillham has
stood indomitable since 1910. Robert Nesch, owner of the Pittsburg
Paving Brick Company, built his residence with the same oversized bricks
he used for all of Kansas City’s main thoroughfares. The house has seven
fireplaces, a third floor ballroom, finished basement with two
fireplaces, a carriage house and a smoke house. The Riederers bought the
house in 1942. They raised 12 children here and sold the house in 1978.
The massive dining room is trimmed in quarter-sawn oak and accented with
fixtures by Quezah (a Tiffany designer). The foyer contains two 100-coat
closets; the expansive living room is trimmed in mahogany and flanked by
both an exterior and a screened porch. Fortunately, all light fixtures,
including the French Cameos in the reception hall, are original. The
second floor features a library, master bedrooms, two guest rooms, and
two baths. There are 160 bricks per square yard in the exterior walls at
3821 Gillham. How can this be? Every wall is four bricks thick, with a
pocket of insulating air between the third and fourth bricks. |
4411 Gillham Road
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Sam Swerengen and his mother, Lizzie, built this speculation stucco
Craftsman-style home in 1907 for $4,000. Although this house was never
subdivided, it was neglected for over 40 years and was included on a
city list of homes requiring “extensive renovation” in the 1970s.
Extensive renovations were started in 1978. All of the
beautiful woodwork had been painted, the stair spindles removed and the
built-in dining room hutch dismantled. Previous owners stripped wood,
removed wallpaper and refinished floors. During the first renovation,
the original horsehair carpeting was discovered still on the living room
floor albeit under a couple of layers of floor covering. Special features include a butler’s pantry, beamed ceiling, and
extensive millwork. House features include three bay windows (two with
window seats), built-in flower box on the exterior and leaded glass
throughout. In the 1990s the owners replaced the living room fireplace
mantel and tile surround. |
4513 Gillham Road
| The bungalow exhibits decorative beams under its front gabled roof and square porch
columns on stone pillars.
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4537 Gillham Road
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C.O. Jones, a real estate broker, built the house in 1910. Jones
probably built the house as an investment to be quickly sold or rented.
Early owners were employed as salesmen or office workers. Joseph and
Helen Miceli purchased the house in 1936. The couple updated the
dwelling in the “new” art deco style and lived here for 45 years. |
716 Gleed Terrace
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The first house built on Gleed Terrace was this classic Colonial Revival
in 1908. For almost three decades it was the home of John Hubble, a
well-known local bridge expert. In 1975 when the house was for sell, a
retired postman, who roomed there, had decided not to deliver catalogues
and magazines and had stored them floor to ceiling in his room. Dogs had
been given a free run of the house, and the wallpaper was a most
distinctive dark green, maroon, and white with scenes of grisly cowboys
riding stagecoaches and Mohawk Indians, arrows at the ready crouching
behind rocks. With due consideration to the Santa Fe Trail which once
traversed the lot, the wallpaper quickly went to its final reward. The
wood molding is generally painted gum with walnut used in the entry.
Sconces and chandeliers are original and unpretentious. |
720 Gleed Terrace
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It’s hard to imagine why a widow would decide to build something as
large and grand as this classic stone Colonial Revival house. But in 1909
that is precisely what Lucretia L. Staley did. Following the death of
her husband Madison in June of 1897, Lucretia remained in their home in
the Pendleton Heights neighborhood until 1909. In that year, she moved
to a residential hotel at Troost and Armour Boulevard, presumably to
oversee the construction of her new home. By 1910, she had moved into this
beautiful home, construct for the cost of about $15,000. Over the years
the house had been converted into nine apartments.
Designed by
the architectural firm of Hoit & Howe, the home is constructed of cut
stone and features a red time roof. Of note is the single gabled dormer
window centered over the entrance and flanked by two eyebrow dormers.
Surrounding the front door are impressive leaded, beveled glass
sidelights. Inside the house are spacious rooms, and a leaded glass bay
window on the stair landing. The nine apartments the house had been
divided into were removed in the late 1970s. |
4025 Kenwood Avenue
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Vanderbilt Place, platted in 1886, was laid out in a perfect grid of 16
blocks, each with 48 lots, from Holmes to Oak, 39th Street to 43rd
Street. Development began immediately, but moved slowly; by 1891 only
slightly more than two-dozen homes existed in this sixteen square block
area. More than seventy had been built by 1900. The construction of
Gillham Road split the neighborhood in 1902; the few homes in the way
were condemned and destroyed. Kenwood Avenue, once an interior street
located between Cheery and Holmes, suddenly had a magnificent view of
Kansas City’s newest parkway.
This storey and one half brick
Victorian cottage dates to at least 1897. Early owners included Charles
J. Wagner, a city building inspector, from the late 1890s until about
1920; and the Paul Koerner family from about 1920 until 1935. The Moore
family, Andrew, Mary and their two children, owned the home from 1940
until 1987. The property once included a two-story brick carriage house,
chicken coop, cistern, and barn.
The property was purchased at
an auction in 1987. The yard was so overgrown it was difficult to even
see that a house was located on the property. Once past the weeds, the
new owners found termite damage, foundation problems, deteriorating
porches, and rotting exterior doors. Evidence of the two apartments
built during the 1950s remained and the exterior of the house was
covered with asphalt shingles. On the first floor, however, almost all
of the original pine woodwork was still intact. The house sits on four
25’ wide lots. |
4121 Kenwood Avenue
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Contractor C.T. Houlehan built this modest house in 1910 as an
investment. The house is an early example of a Craftsman style.
Exterior features of this two-story house include a stone first story,
stucco second story, irregular roofline and brackets located in the
eaves. The first owner, Harry Wilkinson, worked at the Crown Pharmacy at
3300 Main Street. Several other owners came and went and it was
eventually purchased by Iva Gartner, an electrician, and his wife,
Mildred, in 1946. The Gartner’s lived here for 31 years. In 1977 the
house became rental property. Two major fires occurred here—the first in
1933 and the second in 1991. Following the last fire, the house sat
vacant for nine years. |
3412 Locust Street
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This Kansas City shirtwaist was built for Patrick and Margaret Savage in
1908. Mr. Savage was vice president for the Western Roofing Company. The
Savage family lived in this home until the early 1950s. From the 1950s
until the med 19070s the house had several owners. In 1976 the house
suffered a major fire and was basically gutted. The house was purchased
in 1977 for $1,000. |
3608 Locust Street
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One of the oldest homes in Hyde Park, this Queen Anne Victorian was one
of the first built for speculation by the investment firm of
Jarvis-Conklin in 1888 on Locust Street and Oak Street (now Gillham
Road). Three of the homes remain today from what was then an
unincorporated suburb of both Westport and Kansas City. An early
(1895-1898) resident of the home was accountant E. Stanley Young, who is
rumored to have introduced the game of golf to Kansas City. In 1899, the
house was bought by lawyer Alfred R. Gregory and his wife Josephine.
They owned the home for over half a century and substantially altered
its appearance with a large addition in 1909. Harry and Maude Boling
were the next owners, living in the house from 1951 until 1981.
Reading the exterior of an old home can be a challenge even for trained
architectural historians. There are two parts to this house: one part
was built in 1888 and was added on in 1909. It is hard to tell but clues
can be seen in the porch columns (round one side, square on other), the
different window trim, window style, and window sizes, and the changing
decorative moldings. The front tower is original, as is the north side
of the wrap-around porch. The south side of the front of the house was
added in 1909. The addition doubled the size of the first floor living
room and second floor master bedroom. A second tower, now hidden from
view from the front of the house, can be seen on the south façade. The
small enclosed porch in the south tower, located off one of the second
floor bedrooms, was originally open.
Original features include
wood trim and moldings, door hardware, fireplace mantels and hardware
floors. Pocket doors separate the living room from the dining room that
includes a crystal chandelier. Upstairs, a sitting room with fireplace
is located in the tower and connects to the large master bedroom. Three
additional bedrooms are located on this floor. |
3609 Locust Street
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This majestic Colonial revival house was built between 1913 and 1914 for
the family of Percy S. Lorie, Sr., a prominent Kansas City insurance and
mortgage realty businessman. N.I. Goddard designed this magnificent
home, which contains nearly 5,000 square feet of living space that once
housed a full support staff of chauffeur, maid, laundress, cook, and
yard man. The home has seen many changes in its lifetime. The Lorie’s
occupied the home until 1932 when they leased it to Leon Meyer of Meyer
Jewelry. During the depression, the Lorie’s home, originally built at a
cost of $25,000, was sold to Jerry Walsh for only $6,700. The Walsh’s
managed to keep the house a single family dwelling during their tenure,
but later it was subdivided into nine apartments. Mr. Robert Banks
purchased it in 1982. He and his wife began extensive renovation to the
home, but a series of unfortunate mishaps, including a fire which
destroyed most of the third floor and a broken water pipe which left
inestimable water damage, caused the home to go into foreclosure. The
woodwork had been painted when the home was built, and with the
exception of a few areas, the woodwork remains painted as was original
to the house. The house contains six dormers. The dormers and columns
provide a perfect symmetry to the stone and brick construction. The
house has porches on three sides. Six bathrooms, four full and two half,
have been refurbished. |
3630 Locust Street
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The June 16, 1909 edition of Western Contractor, a building trades
journal, announced the preparation of plans by the architectural firm of
Shepard and Farrar to build a home for real estate investor Robert L.
Baker. Construction on this two and one half story half-timbered home
began that month and Mr. Baker took up residence in October of the same
year. The estimated cost of construction of the house was $5,000. Mr.
Baker did not stay long at this address; by 1912 the home was occupied
by the Henry Simpson family who lived here for about six years. Other
past owners include Malvern and Lucy Rose and George and Elizabeth
MacGregor. In the late 1960s the house was purchased by Millard and
Cloeta Simmons who owned the home for over 25 years. During the later
years of their residency, they lived on the first floor of the house,
virtually ignoring the second and third floors. After Mrs. Simmons died
in the fall of 1993, the house sat vacant for two years. May
original architectural features remain in the house including the oak
front door with diamond-pane sidelights, the built-in bookcases and
fireplace in the living room, and leaded-glass cabinet doors in the
dining room. |
3701 Locust Street
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Frederic P. and Jessie Lyman built this stately vernacular house in
1922. The asymmetrical exterior features exposed rafter tails at the
eaves, a projected bay with tripartite window, a recessed tripartite
window in a semi-elliptical opening at the gable end, and a side porch.
When purchased in 1987, the house had only had three owners. Although
various rooms were rented as apartments over the years, no structural
alterations remained. The entrance of the house opens into a central
hallway with an open staircase. The living room, with three exposures,
runs the width of the house and has walnut bookshelves on either side of
the working fireplace. The dining room contains walnut built-ins,
wainscoting and broken pediments over the doors and windows. |
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Architecture 
