In this issue:
-National Preservation Month
-Haskell Row
-Old House Warming
-1300 Haskell Nomination Celebration
-National Register of Historic Places Presentation
-Windows Repair Workshop

National Preservation Month
For each of the last three years, LPA has celebrated National Preservation Month in May with our Evening of Awards at the Castle Tea Room. This hugely successful event offers a great way for us to recognize lifetime preservation achievers and to provide an important community experience for our members and friends.

LPA has so much going on this spring that we decided to break up the one big celebration into a series of smaller events throughout May and June. It all starts with another of our popular OLD HOUSE WARMING series, this one in partnership with our friends in the Lawrence Modern group. Then we celebrate a major LPA initiative of a historic register listing of 1300 Haskell. We continue to work on three other register listing projects: 707 Main in Eudora, B’nai Israel cemetery near Eudora, and the Charles and Sara Robinson Oakridge Farm barn in Grant township. And we will conduct two public workshops to explain the benefits and the meaning for a property or structure of a listing on the historic register. Finally we will hold another in a series of hands-on window repair workshops.

Next year, the Awards Event will be back, but for now, please make it a point to attend one or more of these free events during May and June and help us celebrate all aspects of what it means to care about historic preservation.

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Haskell Row
LPA is completing a major initiative in nominating 1300 Haskell, the Elizabeth Haskell French house, to the National Register of Historic Places. The Kansas Historic Site Board of Review is expected to discuss the nomination at their August meeting.

The French house is one of three contiguous properties on large lots set back on the east of Haskell Avenue that were built for members of the Haskell family, and likely all designed by John Haskell himself. John and Mary Haskell’s home was 1340 Haskell, and 1320 Haskell was built for his brother Dudley. Elizabeth French was John’s sister. The siblings’ father, Franklin, was a founding settler in Lawrence, coming to Kansas Territory in the second party of the New England Emigrant Aid Company in September 1854.

Although Haskell family members were significant citizens in the early development of Lawrence, and John Haskell achieved professional acclaim as an architect, especially in Lawrence and Topeka, to date none of the three Haskell Row structures enjoys listing on the Lawrence, State or National Registers of Historic Places.

The French house was constructed in 1869. It is architecturally significant as an example of the gable front-and wing National Folk house type. Its present-day appearance comes from a significant addition in 1880 that gave the house a T-plan form.

Research and writing for a register nomination can cost around $3000. LPA matched $1000 of general membership funds with a $1000 grant from a generous member to pay for the work. Board members Dale Nimz and Brenna Buchanan, and LPA member Laura Groves, worked at below market rates to complete the project. For every dollar of membership money spent, three dollars of work was received, and even better, significant research on the entire Haskell family’s involvement in Lawrence was completed.

1300 Haskell was the home of Bennie and Ethel Stewart from 1958 until 2010, when they sold the home to Aaron and Kendra Marable. The Marables are new LPA members and have enjoyed living in this historic home with their new daughter Edith, and enthusiastically backed LPA’s efforts to document the property and submit the nomination for register listing.

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Coming Events in May and June

Old House Warming
Sunday, April 15, 2pm-4pm
The next Old House Warming will be a joint presentation by LPA and the Lawrence Modern group on Sunday, April 15, 2pm. We will meet at David Baird’s home, 625 Walnut St. in North Lawrence. A tour of the Queen Anne style, Victorian Era structure, which has its roots in the 1870s will be available. Then we will have the opportunity to cross the street and tour of the Trettle’s home at 618 Walnut, a modern structure built in 2009. This will be a unique opportunity to look at old and new structures and architecture, and how mass and scale play an important role in the makeup of a neighborhood. Light refreshments will be served at 618 Walnut.

1300 Haskell Nomination Celebration
Sunday, May 6, 3pm
A front porch and yard party to celebrate the nomination for the nomination of the Elizabeth Haskell French property will be held on Sunday, May 6, 3pm. There will be a short presentation about Haskell Row and light refreshments. Sorry, no inside house tour. Join us to get acquainted with this important Haskell property and learn about the others on that block.

National Register of Historic Places:
What is it, How do you get you property on it, and What does it do for you?
On Monday, May 7, at 7pm-8:30pm at the Lumberyard Arts Center in Baldwin City, 718 High Street there will be an informative presentation for the public about architectural styles, how to prepare register nominations, the benefits of designation and what it means for you as the owner and for the future of the structure. There will be interactive activities, answers to your questions, and helpful guides to important resources.

The second presentation of this same program will be in Lawrence on Monday June 4, 7pm-8:30pm at The Center for Design Research, 2544 Bob Billings Parkway (West 15th St) on KU’s West Campus. The Center is located near the old Chamney Barn.

Join us to find out more about what architectural style your house is, about how to list your property, and the benefits for the owner and the building.

Windows Repair Workshop Saturday, June 2, 9am-noon
On Saturday, June 2 from 9am –noon, at 1313 Massachusetts (next door to the Castle Tea Room), a hands-on seminar about repairing old windows will be offered for do-it-yourself homeowners and building repair professionals. Space is limited so reservations are required. Reserve space today. This workshop will be offered again in the fall.

Visit our window repair page for tips and video.

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Lawrence Preservation is published quarterly by the Lawrence Preservation Alliance. Our mission is to preserve historically significant buildings and natural environments, and to educate the community about the benefits of historic preservation. We welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions.