Jackson County (Mo.) Historical Society

Portals to the Past

by David W. Jackson

Sheraton Estates Paved Way for Other Subdivisions

Residents Sheraton Estates—with the assistance of the Kansas City Landmarks Commission—are beginning a survey that could lead to the district’s nomination to both the Kansas City and National registers of historic places.

When JoeLouis Mattox, Kansas City Landmarks member, and Glenda A. Russell, Community Organizer for Swope Community Builders, overviewed the project with me, I was excited to discover that my own neighbor and native Kansas Citian, Dewey E. Alexander, Jr., was one of the founders of Sheraton Estates. I visited with Dewey, who shared details about his role in the development of Sheraton Estates.

50-year-old Sheraton Estates represents Kansas City’s first suburban neighborhood marketed to African Americans beyond the confines of what was then called the “Central Negro District,” which, up to 1956, did not extend south of 27^th Street.

After graduating Kansas City’s Lincoln High School, Dewey earned a degree from Central State University in Ohio, where he married in 1949. Dewey moved back to Kansas City with his new bride, Norma. In addition to a full-time job, Dewey began working part-time as a sales representative with his friend, Isadore Gross, Jr., at Gross Real Estate Co. (2224 Vine Street). Their clientele was predominantly middle-class African Americans seeking to upgrade the standard of living for their growing families in the midst of the civil rights era with desegregation, elimination of restrictive covenants, and the Fair Housing Act.

“Desperate for a decent place to live, middle-class blacks relied on black realtors to find homes for them outside the boundaries of the ghetto,” according to Dr. Sherry Schirmer in her book, “A City Divided: The Racial Landscape of Kansas City, 1900-1960.” Available housing was extremely limited especially after World War II at the beginning of the Baby Boom. “About the only thing that we could find to sell were older homes in older neighborhoods where whites had moved out,” said Dewey. “I had an incentive to find something new. One day I was driving out 50 Highway and came to an area where housing and development seemed to have skipped. It was a tract that appeared ‘out in the country.’ There was a steep hill, partially wooded at its base. I drove up the hill and a farmer was tending to crops near the crest. There was some quarrying going on and there were a couple of caves at the back edge of the tract near the Missouri Pacific Railroad.”

Believing this area would make a fine, new residential development, the partners were given an option to buy the property for $1,000 an acre and $1,000 down. They, together with investors Alvin Hurst (a Kansas City jeweler); R. E. Wolf’s Tri-City Construction; and, builder/developer, W. D. Ray, created Aintree Land Company, and set out to plat Sheraton Estates. “We contracted with The Tuttle-Ayers-Woodward Co., Engineers, to survey for the plat. And, the Kansas City-based, nationally acclaimed landscape architecture firm Hare and Hare were contracted with to stake off lots and design landscaping,” said Dewey.

Ultimately, Sheraton Estates’s 70-acres included 232 residences between Parkway and 51st Street on the north, 53rd Street on the south, Jackson Avenue on the west, and the Missouri Pacific Railroad right of way on the east. “Our plat was approved by the City Council on March 1, 1957,” said Dewey. Mayor, H. Roe Bartle, said, “The Sheraton Homes project represents a valuable addition to this city thoroughly in keeping with the pride and satisfaction our citizens have derived in knowing that our residential areas were among the most beautiful in the nation. Permit me as Mayor of the city of Kansas City, Missouri, to extend to those who are a part of the Sheraton Homes project a congratulatory word on this material contribution to the welfare and forward progress of this great city.”

When asked what architect designed the homes, Dewey said, “We researched and found Scholz Homes, Inc. [Scholz Design, Inc. today] in Toldeo, Ohio. We went there to see the pre-fabricated, luxury, model show houses designed by the founder Don Scholz, Sr., and chose his designs.” In all, there were 12 completely different, ranch, bi- and tri-level design model homes (with one and two baths). Newspaper articles promoting the “new homes for modern living,” were eventually listed from $13,500 to $22,500.

The Kansas City Star reported on Sunday, July 14, 1957, that a crowd of 12,000 people visited the 12 model homes on the day of the grand opening. By 1969, most all of the lots in Sheraton Estates were built upon.

“Many of Kansas City’s most celebrated black leaders made, and still make, their home in Sheraton Estates. Sheraton Estates residents continue to be leaders in affecting social and political policy changes that support and improve our community and Kansas City as a whole,” said Russell.

Above all else, Sheraton Estates paved the way for additional, new “open concept,” “non-restricted ownership” subdivisions in Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri.

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