Janssen Place
Janssen Place book cover – background photo of 80 and 66 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
Introductory note by co-author, Bruce Mathews: In 2020, Judith King and I, along with 30 “contributing authors” had just completed the book “Mount Washington Cemetery: In Search of Lost Time.” It was the sixth in a series of eight books, each taking a unique look at the shaping of Kansas City.
Shortly after that book was completed, I was chatting with Steve Mitchell, one of the contributing authors. We were sitting on his front porch at #2 Janssen Place. He asked, “What’s next?” I said, “How about a book about your neighborhood?” I could tell immediately he had been thinking about it for a long time. He and his wife, Barbara love the street they live on, and they especially love their 1905 Victorian home they purchased, and began restoring, in 1985. They are now the longest tenured homeowners in Janssen Place, having lived there for 40 years. They have raised their four wonderful children in the home.
With Steve’s motivation and personal interest, we have now completed the seventh book in the series which pays tribute to many of those who have helped make Kansas City a better place in which to live. This one is titled “Janssen Place: Still on Parade After 125 Years.”
What follows are summaries of a few of the stories that come to life in much greater detail in the book. The book itself is a 368-page history of the neighborhood. The narrative below offers a glimpse, drawing attention to the developer, first homeowners, architects, builders, the architectural styles, subsequent owners and challenges that have been overcome along the way.
The book can be purchased, ($40) online at www.jchs.org or in person at the 1859 Jail Museum. It can also be found online at www.mwchs.org or in person at the Mount Washington Cemetery Office, The Nelson-Atkins Museum, The Truman Library, the Kansas City Museum, Made in Kansas City stores, Forest Hill Cemetery office and Union Cemetery office.
By Bruce Mathews
Arthur Stilwell and his wife, Jennie (Wood). Photos courtesy of the State Historical Society of Missouri.
The Janssen Place neighborhood, located in Kansas City’s historic Hyde Park area, became reality as the result of the vision of one man, railroad magnate Arthur Stilwell, who founded what was to become Kansas City Southern Railroad. He was a visionary. He was a dreamer. Above all he was a promoter.
At the end of the 19th Century and into the early 20th he was a successful businessman. He was personable, well-liked, envied, and always determined to overcome many reverses he faced. Albeit, many of these reverses were self-generated.
His life was a mass of contradictions and, for some reason, things did not always play out the way he had imagined. He was determined and not adverse to risk-taking, whether it involved his own funds or the capital of others. In many circles he was referred to as “an eccentric genius,” and in many ways he was larger than life. It was a role he played to the hilt.
27 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
Janssen Place is a case in point. The friendly and livable neighborhood exists because of his promotion. It was his concept to develop an exclusive neighborhood catering to Kansas City’s wealthiest families. In the 1890s, as he stood on his front porch on the north side of 36th Street and gazed over the undeveloped land directly to the south, he could see, in his mind, the 19 beautiful mansions that would be built there. He envisioned that one of them would be his own.
His vision was both bold and a bit ahead of its time. He saw the market for Janssen Place homes being wealthy families who were moving away from the once-splendid Quality Hill area. They were on the move, to put it bluntly, to escape the stench of their neighbors to the west, the stockyards and packinghouses. As Arthur soon found out, his chosen site was a few years ahead of the city’s infrastructure’s capacity to serve it. It was so far south (the northern boundary of the neighborhood being 36th Street) it was not even within the city limits of Kansas City. Technically, it was in Westport.
Undaunted, the site was cleared. He planted trees, constructed the street and curbs, spread bluegrass throughout and in 1897 he filed his plat for Janssen Place with the city of Westport. Later that same year, Westport was annexed by Kansas City.
It was not until #73 Janssen Place was built in 1908 that the automobile began to significantly make its presence felt. At that point the city began to expand even further to the south and Janssen Place began to become known as the fashionable place to live.
Two other men who played vital roles in the early stages of the development were Stilwell’s friend, the Dutch capitalist August Janssen, who provided the financing for the venture, and his architect, George Matthews, who designed the street and lot layout. He also designed the beautiful entry monuments that still greet everyone entering the neighborhood.
2 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
STEWARDSHIP
“The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.”
Homes on the west side of Janssen Place, in 1923. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
Today, if you drive – or better yet walk – past the 19 beautiful mansions built in Janssen Place in the early 1900s, you might think time has stood still. These homes look almost exactly the same as they did over a century ago when they were built for the first families. The reality is it has taken hard work and persistence to achieve the “unchanged” look.
One of the things that has changed most dramatically over the years is how the role of the homeowners has evolved from ownership to stewardship. Each home has now been meticulously restored with strict attention to protective architectural standards.
The same homes in 2023. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
The neighborhood has seen its share of hard times to be sure. The Great Depression ushered in a period when people couldn’t afford to buy or sell. As a result, many of the homes were left unoccupied. Just a few years later the homes had too many people in them. Due to the housing shortage in America, created by World War II, a number of these 5,000-plus square foot, single family, homes were divided into as many as 12 to 16-rental unit apartments. After the neighborhood declined in the 1950s some of the second and third generations of property owners sold off their large side yards which allowed infill duplexes, eight in number, to be constructed. “There goes the neighborhood,” many thought. But times began to improve and in the 1970s a new breed of urban pioneers began to see the potential in these once grand mansions, which could be purchased at very reasonable prices. Slowly, neighborhood vitality began to return.
The remarkable fortune for the Janssen Place neighborhood is that somehow every one of the original 19 homes was able to survive. None of them were demolished or ravaged by fire. A miracle in itself, setting the stage for the era of stewardship. The first families had no history with their new homes. Their priority was to live well. Certainly, these homes helped them accomplish that. Over a century later, the homes, all built between 1897-1917, are now steeped in history with individual legacies. Current owners have come to realize that their responsibilities have dramatically increased. Gone are the days of simply “living well,” replaced by “living well, while embracing stewardship.” They understand they have purchased a home not merely for themselves, but for future generations. They do not take their roles as stewards lightly. It means leaving the homes in better shape than when they moved in, being true to each home’s architectural integrity and unique history. The tasks required to accomplish this are daunting.
Former owners of 42 Janssen Place, Art and Cynde Brookfield, put it this way: “Our family, wife Cynde and young son Arthur III, moved back to Kansas City from Atlanta in the late 1970s. In 1978 we moved into 42 Janssen Place, a beautiful three-story house that contained 7,000 square feet. Two more sons were born there, and our family was set up with ample room.”
“Having moved from Atlanta we were acutely aware of the potential for the vitality of any neighborhood close to the urban core (downtown) of Atlanta and felt that Kansas City was sure to follow that model. It did, finally, but it took our downtown awhile to catch up with the rest of the major cities in the country. I am drawn to that thought process when I look back and realize that our former Janssen Place home (we relocated in 1989) is now worth 10 times the price we paid for it in the ’70s.”
“Today’s homeowners in Janssen Place are taking the neighborhood to a whole new level. They get it! They understand they are not merely homeowners, but 'stewards' charged with protecting part of Kansas City’s rich architectural heritage.”
“Now, the future has never looked brighter. The owners of the early 20th century homes and those constructed in the 1950s treat each other with respect and realize that what is good for one homeowner is good for all homeowners. As a neighborhood they are all in this together. They understand what being a good neighbor is all about.”
“The early homes have all been restored to their single-family character, but the chauffeurs and servants are gone. The lumber barons have been replaced by a diverse mix of occupants who understand their inherited responsibility of stewardship that comes, unwritten, with their property deed. Janssen Place owners of today can look back on a rich history that the original owners never knew. Janssen Place is also reaping the benefits of positive steps being made throughout Hyde Park: Crime is down; neighbors are well into restoration projects of their own; the infrastructure has been upgraded; and new commercial and public construction is taking place throughout the midtown area. Block by block, homes are being given new life.”
The Janssen Place duplexes. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
As an added bonus, the duplexes that many feared would lower property values and reduce the livability on the street…. well, not so much! These homes are now owned and occupied by families who care just as much for them as their neighbors do for their larger homes. They tend to be younger families with children. They add to the vitality of the neighborhood.
All of the families living in Janssen Place participate in shared events whether they are celebrations, anniversaries, the annual Hyde Park Homes Tour, Halloween, or just hanging out on one of the many large front porches to enjoy “Flamingo Fridays.”
The inviting front porch of 48 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
Janssen Place is representative of the country’s strongest communities, those who embrace and promote diversity.
Not to be overlooked is the fact that the home values in Janssen Place are doing just fine, thank you very much!
THE FIRST FAMILIES
The first home, #27, was built for Willam Allen Willams and his wife Adele M. Daily, although they lived in the home for a time, #27, like #48 were spec homes. Williams was a Stilwell associate who was placed in charge of all construction of the Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railway. The Williams house is a late “Free Classic” Queen Anne example, noted for its grouping of classical column porch supports.
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The second home, #48, for Burton D. Hurd and his wife Dena Soekland, was the result of an established personal and business relationship between Burton D. Hurd and Arthur Stilwell growing from their venture into the development of Port Arthur, Texas and the Texas Gulf Coast. His primary residence was in Collegeport, Texas. The lovely “shingle style” of 48 Janssen Place is surely the work of Kansas City architect L. Grant Middaugh.
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The third home, #2 Janssen Place was built for John Henry Tschudy and his wife Anna E. Egger. Mr. Tschudy was the first of eight lumbermen to build in Janssen. With the addition of the others, Janssen Place became known as “Lumbermen’s Row.” The home’s architectural style is Italianate Revival. He was the president of the Tschudy Lumber Co.
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Exterior and interior views of 73 Jenssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
The fourth home, #73, was constructed for the lumberman, John M. Byrne and his wife, Lucia Fox. He owned the John M. Byrne Lumber Company in Kansas City. Unfortunately, their residence in Janssen Place was short lived. They moved into the home in 1908. Lucia died on June 21, 1912 at the age of 63. Her husband followed shortly afterward on November 29, 1914 at the age of 71. Two disparate styles - Italianate and Georgian Revival - join forces in this elegant home.
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Albert William Peet. Number 6 Janssen Place.
The architectural style of the fifth home, #6 is Jacobethan Revival. It was built for Albert William Peet and his wife Laura Orelle Smith. The family-owned business, Peet Brothers Manufacturing Co. manufactured soap and became one of the largest such companies in the U.S. It was known for its lines such as Crystal White, Cream Oil Toilet Soap, Imperial, Sea Foam Naptha and Borax. As the company aged through mergers it became Colgate-Palmolive-Peet Co. Mr. and Mrs. Peet’s three children, including son Herbert Orvis Peet, grew up in the home. H.O. Peet became a member of the New York Stock Exchange and formed his own brokerage business, H. O. Peet & Co. His wife, Marguerite “Margot” Munger was a very talented artist.
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The sixth home, #61was built for one of three widows to build in Janssen Place. In this case the owner was Mrs. Eda (Bachman) Peck. She was the widow of George Butler Peck. Mr. Peck operated the George B. Peck Dry Goods Co. in downtown Kansas City. In addition to his successful retail establishment, he was one of the community’s most beloved citizens, known for his honesty, philanthropy and involvement in charitable activities. As contributing author, Ross Freese explains: “The home represents two distinct styles Jacobethan and Arts & Crafts. They are integrated into a carefully composed home that shows vertical aspirations while staying rooted to the earth.”
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Mrs. Rodella (Arter) Dwight who moved into the seventh Janssen Place home to be built, #7 in 1910 became the second widow to locate in Janssen Place. Her husband, Stephen Northrop Dwight had developed the Dwight Building at 1004 Baltimore Avenue in 1902-03, shortly before his death in 1904. Contributing author, Josh Hamm describes the Dwight home as a “solid, handsome and well-proportioned Italianate Revival residence.”
The dining room buffet exhibiting of exquisite detail in 20 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
The eighth home, #20 was built by another lumber family, that of William Alfred Pickering and his wife Zoe Louise Cravens. The company grew to such an extent it became the third largest wholesale lumber company in the United States. That is until the Great Depression when, like many other companies in the lumber industry it could not survive. Contributing to the company’s demise was the untimely death of the founder William Russell Pickering in 1927, followed just three years later by W. A.’s own passing. Before the Depression the company was the model of a successful family-operated business enterprise.
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The ninth home, #42, was built for Joseph M. and Maud (Haines) Bernardin. He formed the Bernardin Timber and Manufacturing Company in 1913. He was actively involved in community affairs as a general in three Liberty Bond Drives during World War I, the Liberty Memorial construction campaign, and as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank in Kansas City. He was also Chairman of the finance committee for Grace & Holy Trinity Cathedral. His home is the one which the Brookfield family purchased in the 1970s. #42 is a Georgian Revival home with a hint of Dutch Colonial style.
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Interior views of 55 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
The 10th home, #55, was built for the family of Dr. William H. Schutz and his wife Carolyn Belle Bryant. In 1898 he moved from St. Louis to the Kansas City area, established an office in the Rialto Building in downtown Kansas City, and developed a successful specialty practice treating patients with diseases of the eye and ear. Susan Jezak Ford writes: “The Schutz house at #55 Janssen is a more modest version of the Italian Renaissance Revival style like its neighbor to the north. The Italian Renaissance Revival style was popular in this country for architect-designed homes from 1890 to around 1930. Carefully considered details contribute to this home’s street presence.”
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96 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
William C. Bowman and his wife Catherine Helen Johnson built the 11th home, #96. He founded the W.C. Bowman Lumber Company in Kansas City in 1896. The company grew and eventually expanded with operations in Texas and points in between. Stores followed railroads and river routes along the way. The Bowman stores operated at sawmills with a selection of retail hardware and tools. #96 is a broad-shouldered Georgian Revival house reminiscent of the antebellum South.
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The gorgeous third floor ballroom in 3 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
The 12th home, #3, was built for George W. Ultch and his wife Ada Heath. He was the president of the George W. Ultch Lumber Company, a wholesale operation. George and Ada had three children, all of whom became involved in running the business. The home is designed in the Italianate Revival style.
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The thirteenth home, #67, was first owned by Ralph E. Byrne and his wife Nellie Carkener. It was located directly north of #73 built by his father John M. Byrne. Ralph and Nellie were married in 1905, and their Janssen Place home was built in 1912. The story turns tragic from there. Their first son died at birth in 1910. The couple had two more sons but shortly after the third was born, Nellie died On October 21, 1912 of bronchial pneumonia. She was only 29 and never got to enjoy the new home. Ralph’s parents both died near the same time. After that Ralph lived in his parents’ home and sold #67. He continued to operate the lumber business started by his father. #67 is a workable blend of Colonial Revival and Prairie School style.
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Mrs. August H. Glasner (Bertha Dick), her daughter Bertha E. Glasner and granddaughter “Perla.” Photo courtesy of The Collection of Marc Padovannij.
The third widow to build in Janssen Place was Bertha (Dick) Glasner. The home, #80 was built in 1912 as the 14th home on the street. It is one of the most elaborately designed homes in all of Hyde Park.
Susan Jezak Ford writes, “The Glasner house at #80 Janssen Place is built in an eclectic version of the Georgian Revival style, a subtype of the Colonial Revival style. The Georgian Revival style developed in the early 1900s and continued into the 1950s. Loosely based on the symmetry and adornment of houses from the 1700s, the Georgian Revival style often exaggerated Classical details and borrowed freely from other historical styles. At the time of his death in 1910, August H. Glasner was president of The Glasner & Barzen Distilling & Importing Co. Glasner & Barzen was highly successful in their line of work due in large part to the efforts of his partner Jacob Barzen who continued to run the company until it finally ceased operations in 1919, at the beginning of prohibition.
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17 Janssen Place – one of the eight homes in Janssen Place designed by Shepard, Farrar & Wiser. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
One of two homes in Janssen Place built by William J. Reintjes was #17. It was the 15th home and was owned by Abram Rosenberger and his wife Erma Meyer. The home is an excellent example of the Jacobethan Revival style, a sub-category of the Tudor style that reminds one of a Medieval English castle. The elaborate style, loosely based on early English buildings, is usually limited to impressive houses constructed between 1895 to 1920. #17 certainly is that. It is a gorgeous home, inside and out. Mr. Rosenberger was a member of the first Jewish congregation, B’nai Jehudah, formed in Kansas City shortly after the Civil War. Mr. Rosenberger had two careers. First, he was a distiller and wholesale liquor distributor. After that, he turned to real estate, primarily buying and leasing out commercial buildings.
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66 Janssen Place interior views and one sheet of the architectural drawings. Interior views showing the home’s beautiful, beveled glass windows. Drawing from current owner collection. Photos by Bruce Mathews.
The 16th home, #66 was built in 1913 for Edward L. Foutch and his wife Eleanor “Birdie” Hewson. Mr. Foutch was the vice-president of the B-R Electric & Telephone Co. The company was one of the earliest manufacturers of telephones in the United States. “Stylistically, the house is, at its core Tudor-inspired, both in its palette of materials and in its studied asymmetry,” contributing author Josh Hamm shares.
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Lynn S. Banks Jr. and his wife Ethyl Callaway built the seventeenth home, #88 Janssen Place, in 1913. Mr. Banks built it, literally, following the design plan prepared by architect, Roger Gilman. The home is a tastefully reserved Georgian Revival in its style. The front of the house is dominated by four two-story fluted Doric columns. In his day job, Banks was the general ticket agent for all of the railroads passing through Kansas City’s brand-new Union Station.
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The south-facing veranda of 53 Janssen Place. Photo by Bruce Mathews. Hare & Hare landscaping plan.
Granville M. Smith and his wife Annie Pinnell moved into their new mansion, #53, in 1914. It was the 18th, and next-to-last grand home built in Janssen Place. Designed by Keene & Simpson and built by Bert Elmer, the home is representative of the Italian Renaissance Revival style. A very unique feature of the home is its Otis Elevator that still transports family and guests from the basement all the way up to the third-floor ballroom. While many of the homes in Janssen Place have ballrooms, #53 is the only one with an operating elevator. Granville Smith was president of the Commonwealth National Bank.
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Finally, the last home, #54, was built in 1917 for the family of John Wesley Jenkins and Edith Cheney Kanaga. John Wesley Jenkins was the second president of J.W. Jenkins Sons’ Music Co. The company was started by his father, John Woodward Jenkins. It had a good run in Kansas City lasting more than 100 years. It became an iconic Kansas City establishment selling pianos, musical instruments, publishing sheet music, providing music lessons and recitals. One of their most popular releases was Euday Bowman’s, “The Twelfth Street Rag,” which was still being published well into the 21st century. The Jenkins’ home, designed by Shepard, Farrar & Wiser was built by John Coleman Long, d/b/a The Long Construction Co. While a grand home, it was not the largest project of Mr. Long in Kansas City. That honor goes to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art which he built for its 1933 opening.
THE ARCHITECTS
The 19 homes were designed by nine of the most reputable architectural firms in the Midwest.
SHEPARD, FARRAR & WISER - #3, #17, #20, #54, #61, #67, #80, & #96 Janssen Place. The architectural firm of Shepard, Farrar & Wiser designed eight homes in Janssen Place. Of the nine firms to receive commissions in the neighborhood, they received by far the most. HOWE, HOIT & CUTLER - #2 Janssen Place. While the Tschudy home at 2 Janssen Place is listed as a Howe, Hoit & Cutler project, Henry Ford Hoit is recognized as the architect of record. KEENE & SIMPSON - #53 Janssen Place. JOHN W. McKECKNIE - #7 Janssen Place. WILDER & WIGHT - #55 Janssen Place. Thomas Wight designed #55 Janssen Place while in partnership with Edward T. Wilder. After 1911 he partnered with his brother William, d/b/a Wight & Wight to design some of the most iconic commercial and public buildings gracing the Kansas City landscape. SMITH, REA & LOVITT - #6 and #66 Janssen Place. L. GRANT MIDDAUGH - #48 Janssen Place. ROGER GILMAN - #88 Janssen Place. THE VAN BRUNT BROTHERS – ADRIANCE (1836-1913) & JOHN (1854-1924) - #73 Janssen Place.
A closer look at two of the architects who designed homes in Janssen Place:
John Wesley Jenkins. Photo courtesy of John Wesley Jenkins IV. Background photo by Bruce Mathews.
Notable design projects by Charles Ashley Smith.
Charles Ashley Smith (1866-1948) (#6 & #66 Janssen Place) - Between 1887 and 1936 Charles A. Smith was one of the most prominent and prolific architects in Kansas City specializing in commercial, institutional, and residential work. Each day thousands of Kansas Citians pass by many of the remaining Charles Smith buildings that represent his varied styles of design: neo-classical, art deco, Gothic and Prairie Style. Twenty of his designed buildings have been honored with placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
Beginning in 1898, until 1936 he designed 50 public schools, many of which still exist thanks to being thoughtfully repurposed. These include Southwest, Southeast, Lincoln, East, Paseo, Central, Northeast Van Horn High Schools, and 42 others.
He also designed The Firestone Building at 2001 Grand Blvd., the first Electric Park, the Heim Theater and the bottling plant for the Heim Brewery (now the home of J. Rieger & Co.), along with residences for all three of the Heim brothers, Ferd Jr, Michael and Joseph, the Fine Arts Building at UMKC, The Hereford Association Building at 300 W. 11th Street, The Jenkins Music Company Building at 1217-1223 Walnut Street, The Kansas City Club Building at 1228 Baltimore Ave., The Pla-Mor Ballroom & Amusement Center formerly located at 3142 Main Street, The Paseo YMCA Building in the 18th & Vine Area (being converted to the Buck O’Neil Center as part of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, The Sixth Church of Christ Scientist (now the Christ Community Church) at 400 W. 67th Street, The Ridge Arcade Building at 916 Walnut Street, and last, and certainly not the least Unity Temple on the Country Club Plaza.
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Notable design projects by Henry F. Holt.
Henry Ford Hoit (1872-1951) - Henry Ford Hoit was in partnership with Frank M. Howe and William H. Cutler when he designed #2 Janssen Place in 1904 for the John Henry Tschudy family. He is recognized as the lead architect for that commission.
The year 1907 brought the death of Cutler. Howe died less than two years later, in 1909, leaving Hoit on his own. He continued alone for four years although supported by one of the firm’s draftsmen, Edwin M. Price. When Alfred E. Barnes Jr. came on board as a partner in 1919 the name of the firm was formally changed to Hoit, Price and Barnes.
Kansas City lumber baron, Robert Alexander Long, was so impressed with Hoit’s work that the two began a lifelong professional and personal relationship based upon mutual respect. Along the way Hoit designed, for Mr. Long: His main residence, the palatial “Corinthian Hall;” The R. A. Long Building; Longview Farm which Long had built as his country estate, especially for his daughter Loula who married Pryor Combs; the Independence Boulevard Christion Church; the First Christian Church in Independence, Missouri, and the Christian Church Hospital. Long even had Hoit design the family’s mausoleum space within the Pantheon Mausoleum at Forest Hill Cemetery in Kansas City.
Along with #2 Janssen place, Hoit designed the Charles A. Braley home, 3 Dunford Circle in Sunset Hill in 1919, The Temple B’nai Jehudah located at Linwood Boulevard & Flora Street in 1908; the Mack B. Nelson residence, 55th & Ward Parkway (NRHP.) Nelson was vice-president of the Long-Bell Lumber Company at the time.; the C. C. Peters residence, 1228 W. 55th Street (NRHP); his own residence, 3771 Washington Street, 1907; and the Cosden Building in Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1918.
The firm of Hoit, Price and Barnes designed: the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company Building at 11th & Oak streets, 1919 and 1929 when an additional 14 stories were added (NRHP); The Kansas City Power & Light Building, 1931 (NRHP.) When the KCP&L building was completed in 1931 it was the tallest building in the state of Missouri. Other commissions included Fidelity National Bank & Trust Company Building, 909 Walnut Street, 1930 (NRHP); Children’s Mercy Hospital located on Independence Boulevard; and the Wheatly Provident Hospital Clinic.
THE BUILDERS
Fifteen building contractors were responsible for the 19 mansions built between 1897-1917:
(Note: The first two homes in Janssen Place were occupied by associates of Arthur Stilwell. They were constructed as speculative homes to get the project up and running.) The first two homes, #27 and #48 Janssen Place were built in 1897 and 1900, respectively by HARRY D. TRAIN. d/b/a Kaw Valley Construction Co. HOLLINGER & MITCHELL built the 3rd home, #2 Janssen Place in 1905.
After the first three homes were constructed Mr. Stilwell sold his interest in the project to William Foley Patton in 1906. During Patton’s ownership period, three more homes, #73, #6 and #61 were built. Unfortunately, Patton died at the young age of 42, in 1911, after he was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Of the Patton homes, #73 was built in 1908 by WALLACE LOVE. The identity of who constructed #6 in 1909 is unknown. And #61 was finished in 1909. It was constructed by JOSEPH HELLMAN.
As his health was failing, Patton sold out to The Arkansas Improvement Co. operated by three Kansas City investors, E. D. Eubank, E. O. Haight and John K. Shinn Jr. Under their watch the remaining thirteen mansions were completed. This last ownership group witnessed the construction of, #7 in 1910, GOTHARD E. HENRY; #20 in 1910 by ALBERT E. TAYLOR, #42, in 1910, being the second project of Joseph Hellman in the neighborhood, #55 by NICHOLAS MILLER in 1911, #96 in 1911 by CARL A. NILSON, #3, the third home by Joseph Hellman, #67 by CHRISTIAN HEINZ in 1912. #80 in 1912 by WILLIAM J. REINTJES d/b/a Kansas City Construction Co. Mr. Reintjes followed up the next year with his second undertaking, #17. The sixteenth of the nineteen mansions, #66, was completed in 1913 by T. E. SMITH & SON. #88 in 1913 by LYNN S. BANKS, (the first owner of the home). #53, by BERT E. ELMER, in 1913. The last mansion in Janssen Place was #54 built in 1917 by JOHN COLEMAN LONG, d/b/a The Long Construction Co.
A closer look at two of the Janssen Place home builders:
Projects of the Long Construction Company.
The Long Construction Company – John Coleman Long (1884-1963) (#54 Janssen Place)
The Long Construction Co. was founded in 1908 by John Coleman Long, a native of the Kansas City area. The Jenkins home in Janssen Place was finished in 1917, the last of the 19 “mansions” to be completed on the street. It was one of many substantial Long’s residential construction projects and helped establish the company’s reputation for quality and integrity in their work. This was true for not only their residential projects, but some of the largest commercial and industrial undertakings in the country.
Additionally, the Long Construction Co. built the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. In partnership with Westlake Construction Co., Long Construction Co. built the Liberty Memorial between 1921 – 1926. Long Construction Company also built The Pratt & Whitney Plant on Bannister Road in Kansas City in 1943 during World War II, the Ford Assembly Plant in Claycomo; the Hawthorn Power Plant for the Kansas City Power & Light Co., The TWA headquarters building in Kansas City; Saint Luke’s and Menorah Hospitals, the Pickering Lumber Co. headquarters Building and the American Hereford Association headquarters building.
For many years, Mr. Long was president of the board of Park College, Parkville, Missouri. He was a past president of the Mission Hills Country Club and of the Builders Association. In 1945 he was president of the Kansas City section of American Society of Civil Engineers. He was a member of the Second Presbyterian Church.
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William J. Reintjes and his wife, Elizabeth. Projects of The Kansas City Construction Company.
The Kansas City Construction Co. - William J. Reintjes (1858-1926) (#17 & #80 Janssen Place.)
Reintjes was a building contractor who began building under his personal name in 1880. As his business grew, he changed the name to Kansas City Construction Co. His largest project was Our Lady of Perpetual Help – Redemptorist Church. It was a massive undertaking beginning in 1907, located at Linwood Boulevard and Broadway. It was designed by brothers, Thomas and William D. Wight, dba Wight & Wight Architects. He also built two of the three largest homes in Janssen Place. #17 was built for Abram and Erma Rosenberger, while #80 was built for the wealthy widow, Bertha Glasner.
OTHER CHAPTERS
The Pilgrim Chapel in Hyde Park. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
Other chapters in the book focus on: the larger Hyde Park Neighborhood Area of which Janssen Place is a part; The Notre Dame de Sion School, located immediately south of Janssen Place; The impact on the neighborhood of turbulent economic conditions brought on by world wars, prohibition and the Great Depression; Stories about some of the subsequent owners and the positive influence they had during their time living in the neighborhood; The challenges brought on by white flight and crime; How the duplexes built in the 1950s went from being feared as the downfall of the neighborhood to playing a critical roles as a stabilizing force.
Notre Dame de Sion school abuts the Janssen Place property on the south. Photos courtesy of Notre Dame de Sion archives.
Another important element in the book is the photography – both archival and contemporary - which convey the peaceful harmony that exists between these architectural treasures and nature.
THE FUTURE
Molly Lusk’s breathtaking display of tulips bordering the #3 Janssen Place property and the sidewalk on the south side of 36th Street. Photo by Bruce Mathews.
No one can predict the future, certainly not in these times of catastrophic weather occurrences and hateful politics. But, as has been shown by the stewards of Janssen Place, if we all do our parts maybe we can make our little part of the world a better place. We have every right to face the future with great optimism. Janssen Place is a good case in point.
Along with a couple of parting thoughts to keep in mind, here’s wishing all of you the blessings that come with having good neighbors.
Quote by Gladys Taber.
THE KANSAS CITY SPIRIT:
“That something good in the human heart that allows us to come together,
placing service above self, to accomplish the impossible”
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Bruce Mathews
Bruce Mathews – Bruce is a retired professional photographer now directing his energies to publishing, along with a core group of contributing authors, books about the history of Kansas City. Janssen Place: A Unique Kansas City Neighborhood, Still on Parade after 125 years is the seventh of eight books in the series.
Bruce was selected as a 2011 recipient of the Kansas City Spirit Award, given annually to individuals who have contributed to making Kansas City a better place to live. In 2016 he was awarded the Communication and Leadership Award by District 22 of Toastmasters International. In 2020, Bruce was recognized with the Excellence in Community Service Award presented by The National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution.
Each book has been honored as “Book of the Year,” by the Jackson County Historical Society.
In 2022 Mount Washington Cemetery: In Search of Lost Time received the George Ehrlich Award recognizing it as Book of the Year by The Historic Kansas City Foundation. Bruce is president of The Mount Washington Cemetery Historical Society.
Stephen Mitchell
Stephen Mitchell - Stephen G. Mitchell is a long-term resident of Kansas City. Although born in Eureka, Kansas in 1948, he has become an avid Kansas City area and neighborhood advocate and history buff since relocating here in 1975 to join the now Lathrop GPM LLP law firm upon his graduation from Columbia Law School in New York City with a master’s degree in law. Steve is a 1970 graduate of the University of Kansas where he received an economics degree with highest distinction and Phi Beta Kappa honors, and a 1974 K.U. law graduate, where he was a member of the Law Review and received Order of the Coif honors. He served in the Kansas Army National Guard from 1970-76. Steve primarily practices business and real estate transactional law.
Steve and his wife, Barbara, have lived at 2 Janssen Place (the historic Tschudy house built in 1905) since 1985 and raised their four children there. He considers himself an old-house restoration “expert” and is proud to have had a hands-on role in the restoration of three historic Kansas City homes and the large carriage house with a servant’s quarters apartment for his Janssen Place home. Steve has been actively involved as the president, an officer and/or director of a number of Kansas City organizations, including the Janssen Place Neighborhood Association, Wornall Homestead Association, Historic Kansas City Foundation and the City of Kansas City’s Landmark’s Historic Trust Corporation. He is a member of the board of directors of the Mount Washington Cemetery Historical Society. Steve and Barbara are active members of the KC Bungalow Club.
The book was designed by Sarah Meiers, Edited by Anne Sutton Canfield and Angela Sanders, with production assistance provided by Paul Erickson. It was printed by Walsworth Publishing Co., Marceline, Missouri.
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS:
Patrick Alley, Lorelei Dean, Diane Euston, Susan Jezak Ford, Ross Freese, Josh Hamm, James J. Heiman, Arsen Kharatyan, Christopher Leitch, Steve Noll, Eric J. Piper, Kite Singleton, Bradley Wolf, Bill Worley.
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Janssen Place: A Unique Kansas City Neighborhood, Still on Parade After 125 years, @2024, Published by the Mount Washington Cemetery Historical Society, one-half of all proceeds benefit the Mount Washington Cemetery Historical Society for the preservation of the William Rockhill Nelson Memorial Chapel. The other half of the proceeds benefit the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association.