Lawrence Modern and LPA to host open house at Zimmerman Steel

On Sunday, May 1, Lawrence Modern and Lawrence Preservation Alliance will join forces to celebrate the awesome rehabilitation-- and successful nomination to the National Register of Historic Places-- of the iconic Zimmerman Steel Building at 701 E. 19th Street by new owner Mar Lan Construction. 

In 1959 Lee Zimmerman, a leading Lawrence figure in the midcentury-modern movement, designed the shop space that is now the back portion of the building—with his company fabricating the steel frame—as he moved his business  from its previous location at 1832 Massachusetts Street. In 1963 he added the classic modern-style office portion in front. Zimmerman built his home at 200 Nebraska in the same style, and his company over the next several decades also supplied steel and fabricated components for most of the midcentury-modern residential, commercial and institutional building projects in Lawrence, the University of Kansas campus and other locations throughout the eastern part of the state. 

You know it’s going to be a great party whenever LPA and Lawrence Modern get together to celebrate!  Make plans to stop by, say hello and join in the festivities.

LPA Launches Directory of Contractors Who Work on Historic Properties

LPA has launchd a directory of craftspeople with expertise in preservation who work on historic properties in the Lawrence and Douglas County area.

This listing is provided as a courtesy to local contractors and potential customers, but companies and individuals listed in the directory are NOT endorsed or vetted by LPA If the business provides financial support to LPA through annual membership, it is indicated on their listing.

Before hiring a contractor, LPA highly recommends that interested customers:: 

1)    Request and check references, including references from individuals currently working with these craftspeople.

2)    Check the contractor’s city license status. To check for license status, see:  https://lawrenceks.org/pds/contractor-license-search/ Contractors who are required to hold a city license include general, building and residential contractors, framing, concrete, roofing, mechanical (HVAC), plumbing, electrical, fireplace and energy conservation inspectors and companies. (For more information on licensing requirements, see https://assets.lawrenceks.org/pds/devservices/bsd/licensing/pds-bsd-Art-15-9634.pdf) Some craftspeople are not required to hold a license, including those working as a painter, tile setter or “handyperson.” If you are not certain if a license is needed, call the City of Lawrence: (785) 832-7700.

3)    Ask for proof of insurance.

Again, the LPA Contractor Directory is provided as a courtesy to local contractors and potential customers. Companies and individuals listed in the directory are NOT endorsed or vetted by LPA

If you are a local contractor who works on historic properties and would like to be listed in this directory, click here.

John Kelly Stone Building Put on Kansas Register

Courtesy Jamee Fiore--KSHS

The John Kelly Stone Building at 777 N 1750 Rd. has been approved for listing on the Register of Historic Kansas Places (KHRI #045-4566). Nominated for its association with the early settlement of Douglas County, this agricultural building—with an attached wood-frame addition creating an “ell” on its west side—has characteristics of the longhouse style. It sits on a historic farmstead that also is recognized for historic Oregon-California trail ruts on the property.

The structure was in serious disrepair, with some walls caved in, when owner Gary Price began a reconstruction project in 2013. He collected and organized the fallen stones, searched for artifacts, and stabilized the walls that were still intact. Along with carpentry work, the project required the services of an expert stonemason. Karl Ramberg of Lawrence, working in phases over several years, was able to replace the fallen walls stone by stone using historically compatible mortar. “It was interesting to me,” Ramberg says, “because Gary didn’t have any particular use for the building. He just wanted to see it restored.”

This is an excellent example of a rural property owner recognizing a site with territorial significance and restoring it as a labor of love for future generations. Congratulations to the Price family for this historic listing and a job well done.

St. Luke AME's Stained-Glass Windows Are Back!

The splendor of stained glass is returning to St. Luke AME Church this week. 

WORKERS REINSTALLING THE STAINED-GLASS WINDOW IN ST. LUKE’S WEST WALL.

After more than a year of restoration work, Hoefer Custom Stained Glass of Hutchinson is reinstalling the large stained-glass windows on the north and west sides of the historic structure on the corner of 9th and New York streets.

The restoration was made possible in part by a fundraising drive by Lawrence Preservation Alliance that raised more than $43,000 in membership dues and donations to pay for the work on the church, which also included restoring its brick walls and other details. The effort was spearheaded by a $10,000 challenge grant by Jeff and Mary Weinberg and was combined with a $90,000 Kansas Heritage Trust Fund grant and a $87,750 in grants from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council to repair years of deterioration of the building.

SCOTT HOEFER OF HOEFER CUSTOM STAINED GLASS TALKS WITH ST. LUKE AME TRUSTEE EUGENE HUNTER OUTSIDE THE CHURCH AS THE WINDOWS ARE INSTALLED.

In addition, a recently announced $25,000 no-interest loan from LPA and $15,000 in donations from the Weinbergs and the Shelley Miller Trust will cover the cost of completing restoration work on the building’s two west towers. That work is now underway.

The restored stained-glass windows, which are nearly 20 feet tall and more than a century old, will be installed this week by Hoefer. The project was overseen by Hernly and Associates, the architecture firm that wrote the grant applications for the building’s restoration.

St. Luke AME was built in 1910 and has been in continuous use by a predominantly Black congregation since. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the Kansas and Lawrence historic registers. St. Luke AME has long been associated with the struggle for racial equality in Lawrence and is one of the few remaining Lawrence buildings with documented ties to the celebrated writer Langston Hughes. Since 1991, when the possibility of historic listing for the structure was first discussed, LPA has been supportive of St. Luke AME as a cultural site that needs to be preserved.

DUSTIN FROM HOEFER CUSTOM STAINED GLASS HOLDS A PANEL READY TO REINSTALL.

Towerful News for St. Luke AME Church

Great news: Funding for the ambitious and extensive St. Luke AME Church preservation project is now complete, thanks to additional money from three funding sources that have helped from the beginning of the brick and window rehabilitation work on the historic structure.

Work on the windows and wood louver openings on the two west towers will now be completed, thanks to a $10,000 grant from the Shelley Miller Trust and a $5,000 donation from Jeff and Mary Weinberg. A six-month no-interest loan of $25,000 from Lawrence Preservation Alliance will pay final construction bills while state rehabilitation tax credits that have been accrued during the project are awarded and then sold to repay the loan.

Last year, $43,000 raised by LPA members—spearheaded by a $10,000 challenge grant by the Weinbergs—was combined with a $90,000 Kansas Heritage Trust Fund grant and a $57,750 grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council to repair and repoint the brick walls on the north, south and east sides of the church, as well as restore the two large stained- glass windows. But once that admittedly huge step was done, a significant amount of work on both west towers remained with no money to fund it.

The stained-glass Windows are in the process of being restored at Hoefer’s Custom Stained Glass in Hutchinson.

This spring, the Heritage Conservation Council provided a second grant of $30,000 to repair the brick on the south tower. Some contingency funding was left over, and GKW Restoration Group, the Kansas City masonry contractor, lowered its cost so that the brick work could include the north tower while the job setup was still in place. That left only the tower windows and louver openings—some in very poor condition—to fund so the project could be completed.

The masons have completed their work and left the site. Now all that remains is to finish the window and louver work on the towers and reinstall the stained-glass windows that are currently in the shop of Hoefer’s Custom Stained Glass in Hutchison.

The project had a modest beginning in 2019 when Hernly and Associates, the architecture firm that wrote all the grant applications and has been generous with its throughout, designed an accessibility improvement project for the basement entry on the church’s north side. That achieved cost savings by coordinating with city improvements to 9th Street that were occurring at the same time. To help fund that work, LPA provided a $2,500 grant and the Shelley Miller Trust provided $5,000. From that point on, a partnership of granting agencies, preservationists and the St. Luke congregation has been able to keep the ball rolling to get the job done.

The stained-glass Windows are in the process of being restored at Hoefer’s Custom Stained Glass in Hutchinson.

St. Luke AME, built in 1910 and in continuous use by a predominantly Black congregation since, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as the Kansas and Lawrence historic registers. St. Luke AME has long been associated with the struggle for racial equality in Lawrence and is one of the few remaining Lawrence buildings with documented ties to the celebrated writer Langston Hughes. Since 1991, when the possibility of historic listing for the structure was first discussed, LPA has been supportive of St. Luke AME as a cultural site that needs to be preserved.

Once these final tasks on the windows, louvers and stained glass are complete, everyone who has participated in this great project over the years can take satisfaction in knowing that this historic community structure is now in the best shape it’s been in since at least the 1960s.

LPA Members-Only Event: Old Housewarming, Oct. 31

LPA will be having an Old Housewarming members-only event at the Dudley Wiggins House, 840 W. 21st Street, on Sunday, Oct. 31.

Please come help us congratulate Randy and Wanda Breeden in caring for this handsome brick farmhouse in the Centennial neighborhood. Built in the mid-1860s and listed on the Register of Historic Kansas Places, it has been beautifully rehabbed by the Breedens, who just recently completed a sale of the property.

LPA saved this house from a demolition proposal in 1985 by purchasing it for $25,000, raised from personal loans given by 33 LPA members. Its condition had fallen a long way from being serviceable as a family home. The Breedens, looking for a project house, were told of its availability by LPA board member Katie Armitage. So they took the plunge and purchased it from LPA.

Their first task was to create some semblance of an upstairs bedroom for their young daughter while they turned the rest of the house into a DIY construction zone. Their initial walkthrough with a city inspector gave them a long list of critical tasks to complete. Fortunately, they had the skills necessary to do the work, as well as friends and family members to help them along the way, Randy is a professional designer and a solid carpenter; Wanda (Puderbaugh) is from a family of woodworkers and builders, including her father Perry and her brother Allen.

Now it’s 36 years later, their family has been raised with a lot of great memories, and the couple is moving on—to a place with less upkeep! But their pride in and love for the home still is evident: They just recently completed a concrete project in the basement. It’s time for a round of applause!

Event Notes:

Lawrence Preservation Alliance Old Housewarming (Members Only)

Dudley Wiggins House

840 W. 21st Street

Sunday, October 31

1:30 to 3 p.m.

This is a free event for LPA members. Masks will be required inside the house, and also on the porch if many people are congregating there.

The property is set back on the north side of 21rst Street, between Louisiana Street and Naismith Avenue. We recommend parking on the 2200 block of Carolina Street, which intersects with 21rst very close to the house. An LPA sign will be posted near the street.

LPA Annual Membership Meeting Set for October 9 at Winter School Building

Please join us on October 9 for LPA’s 2021 Annual Meeting of Membership at the newly restored Winter School on Farmers’ Turnpike between Lawrence and Lecompton. We are excited to see the results of this recent rehabilitation project undertaken by members of the Winter family.

This open-house event begins at 1:30 p.m. and will be held in two sessions to allow as many members as possible to visit and congregate safely. Brief presentations by members of the Winter family will be made in the schoolhouse at 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. LPA board members will be at tables in the courtyard throughout the event to visit with you and listen to your ideas and comments. Members arriving at 1:30 are encouraged to depart by 2:30 so that folks arriving later can participate.

Masks will be required in the schoolhouse and encouraged in the courtyard. Meeting materials, including president and treasurer reports and the new LPA strategic plan, will be emailed to members on Tuesday, October 5.

Winter School is located at 744 N. 1800 Road (Farmers’ Turnpike), about 1 mile west of the I-70 interchange, on the north side of the road just past Heritage Baptist Church. If you reach Berry Plastics while driving west, you’ve gone a bit too far. 

 Winter School, 744 N. 1800 Rd. (FarmerS’ TURNPIKE)

Winter School

This rural schoolhouse just east of Lecompton has been a Winter family project since Mathias “Ship” Winter donated the land for its construction in 1869. The school opened in 1871 and served the surrounding farming community until 1949. A nearby farmer purchased the property in the mid-1950s, and the schoolhouse began an unfortunate reuse as an agricultural building, which greatly accelerated its deterioration. In 1984, members of the Winter family formed Winter School Preservation and bought it back, knowing that a long road of stabilization and preservation work lay ahead.

The family hired the design-build firm Rockhill and Associates in 1986 to do limited stabilization work to the building. In 2018, when the Winters decided they wanted to restore the property for educational and gathering use, the family worked further with Dan Rockhill and his longtime associate David Sain to create a rehabilitation and new construction plan. Wint’s daughter Katie—who grew up in Lawrence, left as a young adult, and then moved back with her family—tells us that the Winter family enjoyed this planning process in which Dan and David were able to share their extensive knowledge of old stone buildings and their creative design ideas. The project was aided by a grant from the Douglas County Heritage Conservation Council.

The leaky roof and eaves were repaired. The rotting floor and missing windows were replaced, and original windows still existing were repaired. The original limestone walls were tuckpointed and the historic stucco coating was repaired.  After a new water meter and septic system were added, a 14x20-foot outbuilding was constructed to house two unisex bathrooms and complete a wonderful rural public space.

As Katie helped with this family endeavor, she remembered all the civic work her dad and his father, Wint Sr., have done during her lifetime. “But the cool part for me” she says, “is how interested people in Lecompton are about it. They are so thankful and have shared stories about what it meant to their family. I have also been able to make this part of my children’s upbringing, and that is special to me.”

While the pandemic has slowed the opening of this facility to the public, Katie’s background in education for museum and non-profit platforms will help inform future use of the schoolhouse. It soon will be open to families for self-guided tours, and later to groups through arrangements with the Lecompton Historical Society.