LPA-Sponsored Properties Added to Lawrence Register of Historic Places

1645 Louisiana St.

645 Mississippi St.

1509 Massachusetts St.

200 Nebraska St.

The Lawrence City Commission voted unanimously Dec. 5 to list five properties on the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. One, at 2110 Harper, was nominated by the Douglas County Commission. The other four were nominated by LPA in partnership with the property owners.

These four properties are part of a larger LPA initiative to document and list significant local properties that were not listed on either the local, state or national registers. In May 2016, the LPA Board allocated $5,000 to fund the project. One property, at 819 Avalon, was listed on the Lawrence Register later that fall, and has since been listed on both the Register of Historic Kansas Places and the National Register of Historic Places. Four other project properties were recommended by the Historic Resources Commission (HRC), to be listed on the local register in November, and await a final determination by the City Commission in early 2018.

1645 Louisiana, an Italianate home built in the early 1870’s on 96 acres owned by Benjamin Akers, was part of a first-class horse breeding and training facility that included a racetrack near what is now 19th Street. That acreage is now the University Place Neighborhood.

645 Mississippi, built for Jacob House’s son Robert in 1918, is a prominent example of the Prairie Style, which is quite rare in Lawrence.

1509 Massachusetts is an excellent example of the Mission Revival Style, also rare in Lawrence. It was built in 1913 for H.B. Ober, who owned a prominent downtown clothing store.

200 Nebraska is a Mid-Century Modern built in 1955 for the Harold Zimmerman family. Members of the Zimmerman family owned and operated Zimmerman & Sons Hardware (now Cottins), and Zimmerman Steel Co. Selected by the local group Lawrence Modern as one of its Baker’s Dozen, this structure was designed by Warren Heylman, who went on to a highly decorated architectural practice in the Pacific Northwest.

City Commission Votes to Add Five Properties to Lawrence Register of Historic Places

The City Commission has voted to give preliminary approval to add five properties to the Lawrence Register of Historic Places. The LPA was honored to work on four of the nominations, including the Lee Zimmerman House, pictured. We'll share more about these properties in the coming weeks, but for now, cheers to all those that helped make this happen!
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Fall 2017 Preservation in Progress Awards

LPA recognizes two older properties where new owners performed whole-house rehabs using a sensitive and sensible touch. Congratulations everyone!

• 2115 Learnard Avenue, Mike and Rechelle Malin
• 726 Louisiana Street, Susan and Mitchell Chaney

Workshop, Nov. 6: How to Write a Successful National Register Nomination

Amanda Loughlin, National Register Coordinator for the State of Kansas, will hold a workshop at Lawrence Public Library on Monday, Nov. 6 at 1:30 pm on how to write a successful nomination for the National Register. Loughlin will provide insights into how to research and complete the nomination forms.

The workshop may be of interest to those who own historic homes or business buildings or those who have interest in having a church or historic site placed on the state or national register. Buildings on the state or national register may be eligible for state tax credits.

The workshop is free, but advance registration is required. There is limited seating. To register, contact Jan at JShupertArick@Douglas-County.com, or at 785-330-2878, by Oct. 31. More information is available here.

Scenes from the LPA Walking Tour of Historic Haskell Indian Nations University

Stephen Prue, Baron Hoy, LPA President Dennis Brown and Caroline Wiseman.

Many thanks to the more than 60 people who toured Haskell Indian Nations University with us on Sunday, Oct. 1. And special thanks to our excellent tour guides: Stephen Prue, Caroline Wiseman and Baron Hoy, who took us around campus to point out and explain the many historic buildings, beginning with the famous Haskell Stadium arch and including the fantastic Art Deco Haskell Auditorium. Photos from the tour, which preceded the LPA annual membership meeting, are in the gallery below.

Haskell Stadium arch

Hiawatha Hall

Kiva Hall

Bandstand/Gazebo

Art Deco auditorium balcony and ceiling

Auditorium column detail

Detail above Auditorium door

Haskell's Historic Hiawatha Hall Gets New Roof

Great news from Haskell Indian Nations University: A new roof has been put on Hiawatha Hall, a big step toward saving and reviving this historic building, the oldest on campus. Please join us on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 1:30 for a walking tour of Haskell, passing by Hiawatha Hall and many other significant buildings, followed by the LPA annual meeting. Details are here.

LPA Annual Meeting to be held Sunday, Oct. 1

The Lawrence Preservation Alliance is excited to announce a mid-autumn afternoon walking tour of the historic Haskell campus as part of our Annual Meeting of membership.

The Annual Meeting will be held Sunday, Oct. 1, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence.

Stephen Prue, Executive Assistant to President Venida Chenault, will be our guide, along with several ambassadors representing student clubs. The tour will include a number of historic buildings, and will also take us inside several of them for special looks at artifacts and works of art. It ends inside the old auditorium, where we will hold a very brief business meeting.

Here are the details:

Arrival: 1:30 pm. Take Barker Avenue south from 23rd Street to the intersection of Indian Avenue. You now know the way to the Haskell Cultural Center and Museum! Please park in their free lot next to the Museum.

Campus Tour: 1:45-2:45 pm. We will gather at the Haskell Arch at the west entrance to Memorial Stadium, and begin the tour from there. The ¾ mile route will allow us to visit twelve historic sites, and end close to where we started, at the old Auditorium just south of the Arch.

Alternative Route: For those not wishing to walk that far, the first seven sites are in very close proximity. Then you can break away from the group; refresh and relax in the Auditorium, one of the most beautiful large rooms in the city. We’ll help you find your way and make you feel at home!

Student Ambassadors: 3:00 pm. Brief remarks from Haskell student leaders who will accompany us on the tour!

Membership Meeting: 3:15 pm. The LPA Board promises fifteen minutes or less…all meetings should be this fast!

LPA Publishes Guide to Owning a Historic Home

The Lawrence Preservation Alliance has published a Guide to Owning a Historic Home in Lawrence. The short guide includes basic information for owners of historic structures in Lawrence. It includes information on historic listings and preservation, information on dealing with Lawrence city officials, and tips for caring for a historic home. The guide is available here and also can be downloaded as a printable PDF.

Study Shows Millennials' Desire to Connect With Historic Places

A new study by the National Trust for Historic Preservation finds that the millennial generation has interests that go far beyond the newest technology, music or clothing. In fact, almost the an overwhelming majority of the millennials have an appreciation for the value of historic preservation. The survey finds millennials tend to value a mix of old and new buildings where they live, dine, shop and travel, and more than a third take a particular interest in activism to preserve historic structures and places. Read more about the survey here.

Karl Gridley, Shelley Hickman Clark, Depot Redux and Diane Stoddard Receive LPA Preservation Achievement Awards

A happy crowd of more than 100 people welcomed 2017 Preservation Achievement Award winners Karl Gridley, Shelley Hickman Clark, and Depot Redux with Diane Stoddard, at the Cider Gallery the evening of May 25. Presentations to the award winners were given by Dr. Dennis Domer, Jody Meyer and Dennis Brown, respectively. Generous in-kind contributions by board members helped LPA to raise $1,000 for our general fund. Is word about to get out that an LPA Awards Event with eats prepared by Jeanette Spencer, David Frayer and friends is the best $30 ticket in town?

Shelley Hickman Clark with her 2017 LPA Preservation Achievement Award.

Carey Maynard-Moody of Depot Redux speaks after receiving the lpa preservation award for preserving the lawrence amtrak station..

2017 LPA Preservation Achievement Award winner Karl Gridley with his broth Mark and mother Marilyn.

LPA President Dennis Brown honors Depot Redux and Lawrence Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard with a 2017 Preservation Achievement Award.

Assistant city manager diane stoddard accepts the lPa preservation achievement award for her work in helping to preserve the Amtrak depot in Lawrence.