KCRag Forum

Two more photos taken by Tosspot (Eric Bowers) of Louis-Curtiss-designed buildings, the former Virginia Hotel (now United Way of Greater Kansas City headquarters) and the Progress Club (now Quality Hill YMCA).

A closeup of the porch and front entrance of the former Virginia Hotel.



The front of the former Progress Club. Townhouses and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception are to the right and in the background.

This is the house that I was talking about. It has some of the Curtiss type of archetecture.
This is located in the center of the block between 10th and 12th on Gage Blvd. here in Topeka.

I will go out and get some pictures from the ground as soon as it gets warmer.

It looks as if it  might be a Louis Curtiss house.  Do you know the original owner/occupant who commissioned it?  I could check it against the Louis Curtiss book listings of his work.

I sure don't. I stumbled across it while driving to work one day. I will do some research though on it.

I did some research on the parcel and it is currently owned by a Donald A Jr. and Janet A. Chubb. The actual address is 1011 SW Cambridge Ave. The home sits on 2.09103037839 Acres. Here is a picture of the front of the residence taken by the shawnee county appraisers office.

I am in Topeka for the weekend, I will go check it out too.   

Louis Curtiss designed the Superintendent's Residence in Swope Park. Here is a postcard, from PumpkinStalker's collection, showing the house.

Fang, here's my shot of the house Annie mentioned from my weekend in Topeka.  What do you think?

the garages tell me no.  fang?

I looks to me like it could be a Curtiss house. The brackets under the wide eaves, and the window design, seem like Curtiss touches.  I will have to do some research. I think Curtiss did three houses in Topeka.

The garage could have had different doors originally, or it could have been added later.

Good shot PumpkinStalker. 

http://louiscurtiss.com/

Wine and Chocolate with Louis Curtiss
Kansas City's Pre-eminent Turn-of-the-Century Architect

Saturday February 9, 2008, 6 to 9 p.m.

500 East 36th Street, Kansas City, Missouri

At a Curtiss-designed Hyde Park residence, Home of City in Motion co-Artistic Director Andrea Skowronek
and her husband Eric Vianello.

$45 per person.  RSVP by February 1. Space limited.

RSVP

http://www.louiscurtiss.com/rsvp.html

For more information please contact Marcy Smalley, msmalley@kc.rr.com, 913.375.8172.

Checks can be made payable to:
City in Motion Dance Theater, c/o Andrea Skowronek
500 E 36th Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64109

A Benefit for City in Motion Dance Theater

FEATURING:

Louis Curtiss presentation (8 p.m.) with Curtiss drawings and related memorabilia
Delightful appetizers and artisanal chocolates by CHRISTOPHER ELBOW
Beverages, including fantastic wines and a sommelier hosted tasting
Live jazz by Detour and modern dance videos

Another bump

Email from KC Bungalow Club founder and president Jan Bentley

"Wine and Chocolate with Louis Curtiss", KC's Preeminent Turn-of-the-
Century Architect

A BENEFIT FOR "CITY IN MOTION" DANCE TROUPE

Cost: $45 per person
RSVP by February 1 to www.louiscurtiss. com

Saturday February 9, 2008, 6 to 9 p.m.

At a Curtiss-designed Hyde Park residence, 500 East 36th Street,
KCMO.

Home of the City in Motion Artistic Co-Director Andrea Skowronek and
her husband Eric Vianello.

*Louis Curtiss presentation by Tom Taylor (8 p.m.)
*Curtiss drawings and related memorabilia
*Appetizers and artisanal chocolates by CHRISTOPHER ELBOW
*Beverages, including wines and a sommelier-hosted tasting
*Live jazz by Detour, and modern dance videos

Checks can be made payable to City in Motion Dance Theater, c/o
Andrea Skowronek, 500 E 36th Street, KCMO 64109

For more information, contact Marcy Smalley at 913.375.8172 or
msmalley@kc. rr.com.

I think that I found another Louis Curtis house here in Topeka. This house is the rectory of the St Josephs Catolic Church. I took some pictures of it tonight to get some verification.







Unlike the Chubb house this has no supports under the eaves. There are the same supports under the window sill though.

A bit of Louis Curtiss trivia.  The Tarrant County Courthouse in Fort Worth, TX was used as the Texas Ranger headquarters in the series Walker Texas Ranger.

The courthouse was influenced by the Texas capitol in Austin, it was made of the same native Texan pink granite.

To us Fort Worthians, it is one of the most important landmark and is at the north axis of Main St. with the Convention Center arena at the south end.

anniewarbucks wrote: I think that I found another Louis Curtis house here in Topeka. This house is the rectory of the St Josephs Catolic Church. I took some pictures of it tonight to get some verification.

Unlike the Chubb house this has no supports under the eaves. There are the same supports under the window sill though.

I have been in contact with Larry Hancks who assisted in writing "Stalking Louis Curtiss" with Wilda Sandy. He has sent me researched lists of Curtiss homes and projects and these homes in Topeka are not listed. Is it possible that these are Curtiss? It is slightly possible, but probably not. They are nice homes, but I do not think these are by Curtiss. I am 100% not an expert, but due to them not being on this researched list, I doubt it.

Found an interesting link through The Library of Congress site showing a massive collection of architecture in the US - the Bernard Corrigan House is included. There are 17 images listed, all taken in 1986 and including a few interiors. Equally fascinating is the building survey (under the data pages tab), giving a history of the house with architectural information and descriptions. Link below:

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?h ... ammem_zOUp::

I could spend all day on this site. There are 61 other listings for Jackson County including some other very historical KC houses - Wornall House, Harris House. Also includes businesses, bridges, schools, Liberty Memorial, etc...some include floorplans of the building. Virtually every county from every state has something on here. Great stuff!

Try this link for the Library of Congress site (sorry - that was my first post):

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?h ... ammem_QBeK::

To do a generate search, go here and type a topic or subject in the search box.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

Here is the link for the Corrigan House.

http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?co ... t,lhbtnbib