Greenwood Hotel – Eureka, Kansas

Once Eureka’s largest hotel, the Greenwood Hotel served as a popular meeting place for the rich cattle and oil traders in the 20^th century.  Built in 1883 and remodeled in 1926, the Greenwood Hotel is a rare example of the Spanish Revival style.  Its most defining exterior features are the multicolored stucco walls and terra cotta roof.  Though a popular destination place for travelers and businessmen, the hotel has fallen into disrepair and is suffering from water damage and neglect.  Funds must be raised for repairs and to mitigate further water damage to the structure and for educational programs.  The local preservation group, the Greenwood Preservation Society, would like to see the Greenwood restored to its 1926 period and reopened as a 32 room hotel for Eureka.

Chouteau Trading Post, Station and Post Office Site – Shawnee, Johnson County, Kansas

Located at the mouth of the Kaw River, this historic site in Johnson County, Kansas, was home to the first trading post, train station stop and post office for the former Monticello Township (now Shawnee).  Established in 1828 by Frederick Chouteau, the site first served as a fur trading post and ferry stop along the Kaw River.  When railroad travel became popular in the late 1800s, Chouteau Station provided a stop for mail service, shipment and passenger service for Monticello Township on the Kansas City, Topeka and Western Railroad.  Later, the township’s third post office was established at Chouteau Station.  A two story, wood-framed structure, serving as the postmaster’s residence and marking a physical location for Chouteau Station was destroyed by fire in 1978; only the limestone foundation of the structure remains.  The history of this site and the remaining limestone foundation is in danger of being lost by development of the area.  The Monticello Historical Society is working to place an interpretive sign at the site to remind residents of the rich history of the site.

Phillipena Strasser House – Manhattan, Kansas

Commissioned to be built in 1874 by widow Phillipena Strasser, the Strasser House is the second oldest house in Manhattan’s Ward 2 and one of few surviving examples of stone residences in the city.  In an agreement with the City of Manhattan, the Strasser House will remain at its current location though the surrounding context of homes and farmland has long been lost.  The Strasser House has been vacant for over a year and is in danger of demolition by neglect.  Though is good condition, funds must be raised for repairs to the roof, windows and foundation.  Adaptive use into office or retail space would serve this property well as it is surrounded by commercial zoning.

Churches - Kansas

This is a thematic nomination aimed at bringing attention to the many historic churches throughout Kansas that are in danger of demolition or neglect.  Churches represent a community history and gathering; they are a place of collective memory and architectural history for a community.  Congregations statewide are facing membership reductions and loss of funding for the maintenance of the church.  Additionally, few historic churches are listed on the National or State Register of Historic Places which limits preservation efforts.  Though there are many groups dedicated to the education and preservation of Kansas churches, the greatest need is for better educational programs for congregations and creative ways to pay for repairs and maintenance of these important pieces of community history.

Sumner School – Topeka, Kansas

This Art Deco school was built in 1936 and served as the neighborhood elementary school for white children in Topeka.  In 1987, the National Park Service designated the Sumner School as a National Historic Landmark for its role in the 1954 Supreme Court Case “Brown v. Board of Education” which ushered in the nation’s Civil Rights Movement.  Linda Brown, an African American girl living seven blocks from Sumner School was denied enrolment and forced to attend the all-black Monroe School several miles away from her home.  Her father, Oliver Brown, appealed the school’s decision to the Supreme Court and in 1956, five years after Linda was denied enrollment, the court concluded schools could not separate students by race.  Today, Sumner School sits vacant and deteriorating; the City of Topeka has initiated an auction for the sale of the property for rehabilitation.  Sumner School has been also placed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.  Purchase and appropriate rehabilitation are needed for this historic site.

Diskau Archeological Site - Vicinity of Riley, Riley County, Kansas

Archaeological test excavations have recovered Clovis projectile points and the remains of extinct Ice Age mammoths and camels in a cultivated field near Riley, Kansas.  State archeologists indicate finding mammoth and camel remains is very rare in not only the state but in North America.  Access to the site is being restricted, limiting the further discovery of tools and mammal remains that could shed light on prehistoric human and mammal activity.  Continued agricultural use has potential to destroy remaining archaeological deposits at the Diskau Archeological Site.

Parker House Hotel – Minneapolis, Kansas

Originally constructed in 1887 as a business building on the corner of Main Street in Minneapolis, Kansas, the Parker House Hotel was retrofitted into a 26 room hotel by widow Isabelle Parker in 1889.  This Italianate structure had an interesting history serving as the primary meeting place for women suffragettes in the early 1900s and home to many travelers looking for the finest accommodations.  Neglect, deterioration and water damage threaten the Parker House Hotel.  The City of Minneapolis has also expressed interest in demolishing the building rather than reinvestment and restoration.

Lion Block – Ness City, Kansas

The Lion Block in Ness City, Kansas, serves as an excellent example of late 19^th century Italianate design.  Italianate styling was popular nationwide from the 1840s through the mid-1880s, spurred on by pattern books such as those published by Andrew Jackson Downing.  Financed by the Shepard Brothers in 1887, the Lion Block retains its interior and exterior architectural integrity including decorative smooth cut limestone crafted by master stonemason Henry Tilley.  The Lion Block was a center of activity throughout the last one hundred years, serving as a photography studio, dry goods store, post office, and meeting place for organizations such as the IOOF and Boy Scouts.  This structure is also significant for the work of Henry Tilley, whose other notable works include the Ransom Christian Church and Grade School.  The Lion Block represents the last remaining example of Tilley’s craftsmanship in Ness County.  Though the building retains a great deal of original fabric, the rear structural supports need repaired and the roof needs replacement to prevent any further deterioration.

Stone Arch Bridges – Kansas

Stone bridges, though the most expensive way to erect a bridge, represented the strongest and most durable bridge construction method.  When arranged with an arch, stone can bear an almost unlimited load making it a popular choice near mills where heavy vehicles would cross or along a major roadway into a town.  Stone bridges represent a shift in structural engineering and aesthetics in the 19^th century from temporary wooden bridges to more permanent river crossings and were often constructed with local stone. Though incredibly durable, stone bridges in Kansas are vastly becoming extinct.  Constructed prior to the motorized vehicle, these bridges are often very narrow with limited visibility.  Lack of government funding to repair these stone arch bridges has resulted in deteriorating structures.  Many historic bridges are also being replaced to accommodate larger and heavier equipment and vehicles.  Examples of historic stone bridges that are in danger of demolition in Kansas include the Diamond Creek Bridge outside of Strong City, and the Chase County Bridge.  Further study of stone arch bridges in Kansas is necessary, as well as a comprehensive plan to protect and repair the structures.