The Johnson Block

Michael Arp bought his house a number of years ago from a couple that had once shared the LPA presidency, so the house was already in good shape. He did worry about the stability of the surrounding neighborhood, though. As he researched the area, he discovered that the west side of the 800 block of Missouri and the east side of Arkansas, with a shared alley between them, were developed by Victor Johnson as a model block subdivision in 1909. Michael continued his research and began talking with his neighbors about nominating the Johnson Block as a Historic District in the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. Working with Historic Resources Administrator Lynne Zollner, and with the help of LPA, which provided grant funding to hire an architectural historian to finish required documentation and write the nomination, Michael was able to achieve near-unanimous support from his neighbors in the proposed district. The City Commission approved the Johnson Block historic listing late last year. Great job Michael!