KCRag Forum

The Historic KC Foundation should go through that list, and let the City know which of the dangerous structures should be targeted, and prioritized for attempts at saving.

Perhaps they could put up a "save me" list on the web site, and work with the KC Star and local TV stations is trying to find someone to save them.

The Louis Curtiss House on Mainheim would obviously be among the first on that list. The Busy Bee building would be another, since it contributes to the block, and the owner has been working on it. I just don't think he has the funds to do a full-scale renovation all at once.

you mean buildings like this?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3949+tro ... MO5amY5PJA

and this one

4446 Troost

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3949+tro ... MO5amY5PJA

4006 Troost

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3949+tro ... MO5amY5PJA

4145 Warwick

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4145+war ... 84,,0,-6.8

4305 Troost

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4145+war ... 84,,0,-6.8

3235 Troost

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3235+tro ... wmaYgSLAdg

3328 Troost

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3328+tro ... bhs_hL0qBQ

voltopt wrote:you mean buildings like this?

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3949+tro ... MO5amY5PJA

I cannot believe that building is still standing. The windows have been missing for 20+ years. The owner, J&D Management, owns 13 buildings on Troost.

4541 Warwick is coming down. It was the example property in the Star article about the city's demolition initiative.

Not all buildings on the list can be saved. However, there should be an effort to save some of the more architecturally interesting ones.

chaglang wrote:4541 Warwick is coming down. It was the example property in the Star article about the city's demolition initiative.

Do you mean 4145 Warwick? God I love that house! It is probably the most unique house in the neighborhood. Sure It's become rundown, but what harm is it causing?

I just don't understand demolition.

Demosthenes wrote:

chaglang wrote:4541 Warwick is coming down. It was the example property in the Star article about the city's demolition initiative.

Do you mean 4145 Warwick? God I love that house! It is probably the most unique house in the neighborhood. Sure It's become rundown, but what harm is it causing?

I just don't understand demolition.

That's the one. The KIVA page had a pretty remarkable NPRES RFS that included "structure lists, or is buckled", "structure wrecked", "structure may collapse", "substantial damage to the structure", "unsafe structural load", "unsanitary conditions", "unsafe for the purpose it is used", "fire hazard", "dilapidated" and "public nuisance". The Star article went into more detail. The owners said they have been working on the house since the 70's. From experience that's a pretty good sign that they don't have the money to fix it and the maintenance is more than they can do themselves.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4145+War ... TF-8&hl=en

It's not the most amazing house ever, but I'm sure with the right owners it could be quite nice. NO MORE TEAR-DOWNS IN KC!!!! We need to concentrate on restoration. I wish the city could have a program that concentrated on restoring houses more than just tearing them down. It's better for the neighborhoods and the environment. Don't want to see a McMansion go up in it's place...would be out of place.

Midtownkid wrote:https://maps.google.com/maps?q=4145+War ... TF-8&hl=en

It's not the most amazing house ever, but I'm sure with the right owners it could be quite nice. NO MORE TEAR-DOWNS IN KC!!!! We need to concentrate on restoration. I wish the city could have a program that concentrated on restoring houses more than just tearing them down. It's better for the neighborhoods and the environment. Don't want to see a McMansion go up in it's place...would be out of place.

The street level view doesn't do it justice. It's severely, severely deteriorated. Also, I don't remember that the owners were putting it up for sale. I think they wanted more time to fix the house themselves. At this point they would basically have to rebuild the house. If the house comes down, the city prefers that the lot go to an adjoining neighbor. You see it all over Midtown.

I can't blame the city for this. It's an owner issue. KCMO already offers a variety of homeowner assistance programs. The economic and societal issues that led to a lot of these houses being devalued and/or abandoned are the same reasons a restoration policy would never work.

Save the Victor Beutner House page on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheVictorBeutnerHouse

The house is on the market for $35k. It hasn't hit MLS yet, but there is a realtor's sign in the yard this morning.

Architect Louis Curtiss Festival Weekend, June 6-8, 2014

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/r ... =yhkqygdab

Great showing today. Wish I'd signed up for the cocktail party at the Corrigan residence. Really hope they do this every year. Are there enough properties to keep it fresh?

Louis Curtiss buildings remaining in the KC Metro

Folly Theater, 12th and Central, Kansas City, Missouri
Progress Club (Quality Hill YMCA), 1017 Washington, Kansas City, Missouri (designed with Frederick Gunn)
Virginia Hotel, 11th and Washington, Kansas City, Missouri (most recently the United Way headquarters)
Sacred Heart Catholic Church, W. 26th and Madison, Kansas City, Missouri
Argyle Building , 12th and McGee, Kansas City, Missouri
Boley Building, 12th and Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri

Louis Curtiss Studio Building, 1118-1120 McGee, Kansas City, Missouri. Btw, the vacant lot to the north of the Curtiss Studio Building was the location for the offices of Dean Brothers Realty, and that structure was also designed by Curtiss, but demolished. That building sat between the Curtiss Studio and the National Parking Garage. He designed another building at 1105 McGee (across the street) for Dean Brothers, which is where the AT&T Building is now.

There are supposed to be six houses that Curtiss designed for William Rockhill Nelson in the Rockhill subdivision around the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. I don't know which houses they are.

Mineral Hall, 4340 Oak, Kansas City, Missouri
William A. Rule Residence, 4320 Oak Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Corrigan Residence - 1200 West 55th Street, Kansas City, Missouri
Frank F. Brumback residence, 500 E. 36th Sreet, Kansas City, Missouri
Porte Haven Residence, 414 Gladstone Boulevard., Kansas City, Missouri
Robert Waddell Residence, 3212 Central, Kansas City, Missouri
James G. Rowell Residence, 7323 Olive, Kansas City, Missouri
Victor Beutner Residence, 1300 E. 39th, Kansas City, Missouri
Norman Tromanhauser Residence - 3603 West Roanoke Drive, Kansas City, Missouri
T.W. Johnson Residence at St. John & Bales in Kansas City, MO. Thought to be the house at 3433 St. John.

* Emmett Gamble Residence. There is supposedly another Louis Curtiss-designed house on Manheim near 39th Street--designed in the arts and craft style--that was designed before the Victor Beutner Residence at 1800 E. 39th Street, which is classified as prairie-style. I've never been able to figure out, or document which house it is. I think it might be the house on the NE corner of the 39th Street/ Virginia / Manheim intersection.

Jesse Hoel Residence - 2108 Washington Boulevard, Westheight Manor, Kansas City, Kansas
Harry Miller Residence - 2204 Washington Boulevard, Westheight Manor, Kansas City, Kansas
Benjamin Schnierle Residence, 549 Oakland, Kansas City, Kansas
Harry M. Winkler Residence, 1915 Washington Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas (thought to be Louis Curtiss)
William C. Rickel Residence, 2000 Washington Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas

Thanks Fang! Hope all those owners are as gracious as those we met yesterday.

i toured the homes in KCK and the boley/studio buildings in downtown KCMO. great event!

I was talking to one of the KCModern folks at the Folly Sunday and he said they ended up opening the whole Corrigan place up instead of just the first floor.

The Victor Beutner House is the one at 39th and Manheim. Because of the lot configuration, it has two addresses: 1311 Manheim and 1300 E 39th. 1800 E 39th is 39th and Woodland, which has some very nice commercial buildings but nothing that looks like a Louis Curtiss design.

As far as I know, the Curtiss link to the Beutner House is unverified. The building permit doesn't list Curtiss as the architect- tho those old permits are not always the most reliable source of information.

1311 Manheim was sold to a new owner about a month ago. A dumpster full of junk has already been hauled away and the new owner plans on reroofing is ASAP. Best news about that house in several years.