2017 KPA Awards Projects
Each year the Kansas Preservation Alliance, Inc. recognizes exemplary efforts in historic preservation across the state of Kansas. The 2017 Awards for Excellence were presented May 19th at the Historic Fire Station #2 in Topeka, where the following projects received awards.
Brungardt-Dreiling Farmstead, Victoria (Ellis County) – Merit Award for Excellence in
Rehabilitation
The Brungardt-Dreiling Farmstead was purchased and built in 1903 by Andreas Peter Brungardt and stands today as a rare intact example of a dairy farmstead, owned by two Volga German immigrant families for nearly a century. Kevin and Laura McCarter fell in love with and purchased the farmstead approximately 10 years ago, and they have done the majority of the rehabilitation on their own, utilizing contractors only when absolutely necessary. At the time of purchase, the house was largely uninhabitable, but today stands as a testament to their dedication to historic preservation.
Wash-O-Rama (Commercial Building), Cottonwood Falls (Chase County) – Merit Award for
Excellence in Reconstruction
The Commercial Building at 308 Broadway in Cottonwood Falls was begun around 1884, and around 1900 the original wood framed building was destroyed in a fire, being replaced by permanent office buildings on the previous building’s site and adjacent parcel to the north by 1905. In the 1970s the building was remodeled with the installation of a plastic veneer that drastically changed the appearance of the building’s facade and the interior was remodeled into an office with typical 1970s finishes installed over the historic walls and ceilings. In 2016 the building was purchased by Luke and Christy Davis who began a major rehabilitation of the complex. The project has added the much-needed service of a laundromat to downtown Cottonwood Falls, and represents the largest single investment in the downtown area in two decades, a successful example of entrepreneurship hand-in-hand with historic preservation.
Rhody Delahunty Complex, Lawrence (Douglas County) – Honor Award for Excellence in
Rehabilitation
The site of the Rhody Delahunty Complex in Lawrence originally served as both home and business for Rhody Delahunty, a first-generation Irish immigrant driven from his homeland during the mid-nineteenth century famine. He built his two story home in 1871, where he also ran a transfer and storage company out of a barn. He moved everything from butchered meat to construction equipment, and when his son Tom took over the business it acquired the first truck to haul cargo in the Lawrence of 1920. Hernly Associates bought the neglected property from the City of Lawrence in 2014, embarking on a rehabilitation of the buildings on the site, and the property now once again stands as a prominent anchor on “Merchants Row.”
Augusta Frisco Depot, Augusta (Butler County) – Honor Award for Excellence in
Rehabilitation
The first Frisco Depot in Augusta was a wood frame building constructed in the 1880s when the railroad was first built, becoming a hub of life in the city. It was replaced in 1910 with a building made of brick masonry. An expanded freight room was built shortly afterward in 1916 in a response to the increased traffic from the City of Augusta’s oil boom. The depot underwent a major remodel in the 1950s as passenger service was discontinued due to the increase in automobile travel and the railroad found other uses for the building. The building went through several owners over the following decades until it was purchased by the City of Augusta, which recognized the importance of saving what may be the last remaining masonry Frisco depot in the state. The new rehabilitation of the Augusta Depot has made this building an important hub of life in the Augusta community once again.
Jack and Kathie Crispin, Lincoln (Lincoln County) – Advocacy Award for Excellence
In rural Kansas most people think the preservation of history, whether it be buildings or artifacts, is a nice idea but not very practical when it comes to the time and money it takes. Jack and Kathie Crispin feel differently. In 1997 they purchased the Cummins Block Building, a long-neglected limestone commercial building in downtown Lincoln. They worked tirelessly to list the building on the National Register of Historic Places and perform a full rehabilitation. Currently the first floor of the building contains two museums created and curated by the Crispins, with the second floor serving as their residence. Jack and Kathie Crispin have shown their lifelong passions for preserving and promoting history. They have rehabbed a historic building, created museums from their extensive personal collections, donated their time and expertise on historical boards and committees, and shared their knowledge with many others so that they may follow in their footsteps.
Burford Theatre, Arkansas City (Cowley County) – Medallion Award for Excellence in
Rehabilitation
The Burford Theatre was constructed in 1924 in downtown Arkansas City. The Theatre was designed by the Boller Brothers, renowned for their innovative designs, and who traveled across the Midwest designing over 100 theatres in the first half of the 20th century, 30 of them in Kansas. In South Central Kansas only three Boller Brothers theaters remain open, the Burford Theatre being one of them. In 2003 B&B Theatres donated the building to the Arkansas City Area Arts Council. This group spearheaded the rehabilitation forming The Burford Restoration and Rehabilitation Project to save the community landmark. Since the formation of the Burford Rehabilitation Project over $6.8 million dollars have been donated by more than 600 donors. With the multi-year Burford Theatre Rehabilitation nearing completion, the community is able to walk into the theatre and take a step back in time, experiencing how the venue may have appeared to the residents of Arkansas City more than 90 years ago.
