2018 KPA Awards Projects
Each year the Kansas Preservation Alliance, Inc. recognizes exemplary efforts in historic preservation across the state of Kansas. The 2018 Awards for Excellence were presented May 18th at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka, where the following projects received awards.
718 South Kansas Avenue, Topeka (Shawnee County) – Merit Award for Excellence with Distinction in Rehabilitation
The three-story commercial building at 718 S. Kansas Avenue was constructed in 1910 by local real estate man J.E. Frost. The building held professional offices and a small theater (the Cozy Theatre) into the 1950s. Two days into the new year of 2015, fire engulfed the building that shared a stone party wall to the south. While the fire gutted the three-story building at 720 S. Kansas Avenue, necessitating its demolition, it left 718 S. Kansas Avenue relatively unscathed. The renovation of 718 S. Kansas Avenue provides a shining example of care and attention to detail undertaken by the owners, architect, and contractor to transform the tired vacant upper stories of this building into an active participant in the revitalization of downtown Topeka.
European Apartments, Hutchinson (Reno County) – Merit Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
The European Hotel in Hutchinson was built in 1888 and has had many different names and businesses inside its walls throughout the years. The European hotel remained a hotel through the 40’s with a consistent turnover of business on the bottom floor. Wes and Gwen Bartlett’s dream of owning a bookstore became a reality in 2011 when they purchased the building. With the bookstore being a huge success in the lower commercial space floor the Bartletts turned their attention to the boarded up, unused uppers floors. The building now has 3 rental apartments and the owner’s residence which the Bartletts have moved into.
State and Federal historic preservation tax credits were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
Madison Street Apartments, Topeka (Shawnee County) – Merit Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
Madison Street Apartments was originally known as the Santa Fe Hospital, with the oldest portion of the existing building constructed in 1930 adjacent to the original 1896 structure, later razed for further additions. The hospital in the Santa Fe’s hometown of Topeka became the largest of 9 throughout the railroad’s transcontinental system. After many subsequent additions and transitions in business model, the hospital closed in 1989. In 2001, a non-historic remodel converted the north and west wings of the building into independent living apartments for senior citizens. In 2017, Pioneer Group had acquired the building and undertook an extensive rehabilitation project that added 28 new units in the east and south wings while staying true to the remaining historic character of the building. The end result is a historically respectful reuse of a Topeka landmark that will be a valuable contributor to the Topeka skyline for years to come.
State and Federal historic preservation tax credits were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
Marion County Courthouse Window Restoration, Marion (Marion County) – Merit Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
The Marion County Courthouse opened in 1906, and after more than a century of service, the courthouse’s wood windows were showing their age. Multiple layers of peeling paint were leaving the wood exposed to the elements, and air leaks combined with poor operability were creating an uncomfortable work environment. In 2015, all 163 of the building’s windows were surveyed and documented for deterioration and deficiencies, with the project commencing in late 2016. All 163 wood windows were restored, and new commercial-grade storm windows were installed, matching the color of the historic windows and protecting them as an important feature of the courthouse’s façade for many years to come.
State and Federal historic preservation tax credits were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
Carnegie 601, Leavenworth (Levanworth County) – Honor Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
The Carnegie 601 Library was built in 1900 as part of the prestigious collection of libraries built by the Carnegie family. The library was the first Carnegie funded building in the state of Kansas and remained the Leavenworth Public library till 1987, when it was converted to the Carnegie Arts Center. The building remained a focal point for the community as a place were visual arts, painting, art history, dance, pottery, music and drama were taught. In 2012, the Arts Center was disbanded, and the building was turned over to the City, being eventually bought by Ilan Salzberg for redevelopment. Since then, great care was taken of the existing features when the main level was converted to office space, artist galleries, and artist studios, to allow the public to view all the creative processes. With opening of the artist lofts and public galleries, Carnegie 601 Library has once again become a center of creative learning and production in the Leavenworth community.
State historic preservation tax credits were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
St. Joseph German Catholic Church, Topeka (Shawnee County) – Honor Award for Excellence in Preservation
St. Joseph German Catholic Church was constructed in 1900, by a German-speaking parish founded in 1887 and populated with Volga German immigrants who first arrived in Topeka in the 1870s. Despite being well maintained throughout its 117 year existence, time was taking its toll on the historic brick masonry building. The current parish members decided to undertake a project to make the necessary repairs and preserve the exterior of the building. The church now stands ready to serve the descendants of the original parish for many years to come.
State historic preservation tax credits and a Historic Trust Fund grant were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
Stonehaven Farm – The Cora Wellhouse Bullard Mansion, Tonganoxie (Leavenworth County) – Honor Award for Excellence in Preservation
The Stonehaven Farm Mansion was located on a 2000-acre apple orchard in South Leavenworth county, and it was designed, with input from famed architect Daniel Burnham, and built in 1898 by Cora Wellhouse Bullard. The daughter of Judge and “Apple King of the World”, Fredrick Wellhouse, Bullard was one of the most significant and influential women in Kansas during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The house, known as the most beautiful country home in Kansas, served as a community and political rally gathering point for people in the region, and became a stop on the Union Pacific Railroad. Dr. Kent and Olga Porter acquired the house in 1985 and got to work immediately with the restoration and preservation of the house and grounds. The end result is a beautifully restored home that is a lasting tribute to Cora Wellhouse Bullard and all that she did for the state of Kansas.
Union Pacific Depot, Sylvan Grove (Lincoln County) – Honor Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
The Union Pacific Depot in Sylvan Grove was built in 1887 as a combination depot serving both passenger and freight needs on the Salina, Lincoln & Western Railway. Eventually becoming part of the Union Pacific Railroad, the line was abandoned in 1993 after a washout in the flooding of that year, and the rails on both sides of the depot were removed. Several years ago, the average person driving through Sylvan Grove would have looked at the Depot and considered it a lost cause. Fortunately, members of the Sylvan Historical Society are not average people and set about the hard work of rehabilitation. The historical society held an open house in September to celebrate the building’s 130th birthday, now serving as museum space showcasing the historical society’s collection of railroad related artifacts and stories.
State historic preservation tax credits and a Historic Trust Fund grant were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
Senator Pat Roberts, United States Senate – Advocacy Award for Excellence
In late 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was introduced to Congress. While intended to simplify personal taxes and lower corporate taxes to stimulate economic growth, the proposal also eliminated many tax credits, including the Federal Historic Tax Credit used in the financing of many historic preservation projects. Over the last 36 years, the tax credit has created 2.5 million jobs, leveraged $130 billion in investment, and rehabilitated more than 42,000 buildings – all while generating enough in federal taxes to pay for itself. Senator Roberts, contacted by many local Kansas preservation advocates, became instrumental in keeping the Federal Historic Tax Credit in the reform bill, a demonstration of a true advocacy for the cause of historic preservation.
Jackson Street Lofts, Topeka (Shawnee County) – Medallion Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation
The Assumption School was built in 1954, opening the first Catholic elementary school in Topeka for the Church of the Assumption parish. Built during the height of the baby boom, the school accommodated a growing demand for Catholic education and provided additional housing space for the growing convent, making it the only combined school and convent building in the Topeka parishes. The school served the parish until it was closed in 2008, sitting empty for several years until parishioner Mark Burenheide bought it for redevelopment into 21 market rate lofts. The building now stands as an addition to the growing residential population of downtown Topeka, an important part of the city’s ongoing downtown revitalization.
Federal and State historic preservation tax credits were utilized to fund this rehabilitation.
