The Ferdnand-Strong House has unique ties to local history and sports history. James Naismith, the inventor of the game of basketball, owned the house and lived here until his death in 1939. Prior to Naismith, Kansas University Chancellor Frank Strong lived here from 1919 to 1934. The main block of the wood-frame Italianate mansion with its stone-lined cellar was constructed in or around 1872. A large addition to the house was made around 1905. The home is listed on the National Register for its association with Chancellor Strong and the development of Lawrence.
One of the oldest buildings in the city, this home was built by Hiram Towne and survived William Quantrill's raid when Emily Hoyt begged the men who destroyed the town and killed over a hundred men to spare the home. While her son hid behind the property to aoid being one of the many male residents of Lawrence who were murdered that day, Hoyt emphasized that she was a widow and operating the home as a boarding house was her only source of income. The raid was inspired by the anti-slavery views of the citizens of Lawrence and previous attacks on both sides of of the Kansas-Missouri border. Using these attacks as an opportunity to steal property and commit violence, Missouri residents followed William Clark Quantrill in a raid on the city on August 21, 1863. Prior to the attack on Oklahoma City in 1995, Quantrill's raid was the most deadly episode of domestic terrorism committed against an American city.
The Benedict House is an example of a vernacular, Stick-style cottage composed of two units. The one-and-a-half story house was built in seven stages from about 1869 to 1927. One unit dates from about 1869 to 1890 and is a cross-gabled frame and shingled section that dominates the view from Tennessee Street. A cross-gabled frame, metal clad second section was added around 1989 to the rear of the house. Both units sit on a new concrete foundation. The two outbuildings are not historic. The Benedict House was listed in the National Register in 1991 and is a contributing resource to the Oread Historic District, listed in the National Register in 2007.
The Charles Duncan House is an example of an elaborate Italian style mansion, built circa 1869. The one-bay wide tower has an oculus window near the top and a fancy roof in a pyramidal style with flared corners. The two-and-a-half story square portion of the house features a front gable with flared eaves with tall, narrow windows on both stories; all second-story windows on the house front have distinctive trim, with semi-circular arched lintels and decorative peaks. The one-story porch in front of the tower was added in 1986 when a wraparound porch dating to 1915 was removed. The former single-family residence has been divided into apartments.
The George and Annie Bell House is one of the oldest homes in Lawrence. The one-and-a-half-story stone building was made from locally quarried limestone. George Bell bought the empty lot in October 1862 for sixty dollars and had the home built. He and his family were living in the house when the town was attacked on August 21, 1863 by Quantrill's raiders. George Bell was killed during the attack, and the house was occupied by his widow and six children off and on for a number of years. The Allison family bought the home in 1914 and owned it for 48 years. Like the Bells, they lived in the home sporadically and mainly rented it to tenants. The house was renovated in the early 1980s and listed in the National Register. It continues to be a private residence.
Colonel James Blood (1819–1894) was a businessman and attorney and the first mayor of Lawrence. His home is one of the oldest in the city and historically significant due to his involvement in the Free State militias and Bleeding Kansas. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is a private residence but can easily be viewed from the street.
Located in Hobbs Memorial Park, this site is historically significant for two reasons. The property was once a farmstead owned by staunch abolitionist John Speer, and the old building, the Murphy-Bromelsick House, is an excellent example of mid 18th century architecture and a serves as a window to the past. John Speer was a key figure in Kansas during the pre and post-Civil War periods. He worked as a newspaper publisher and wasn't afraid to make his views known. During the height of the war in 1863, his homestead and family were attacked by the infamous Quantrill Raid, which occurred on August 21 of that year. A contingent of 450 Confederate irregulars, led by William C. Quantrill, attacked the town, leaving 200 men and boys dead or missing. They targeted abolitionist leaders and their families; John survived by hiding in a cornfield, but his two eldest sons were killed. If it weren't for Speer's efforts, as expressed through his newspaper, Kansas may not have joined the Union as a free state in 1861. The Murphy-Bromelsick House was built between 1866-1869. It was located just 300 yards away from the current location, saving it from demolition, in 2000. Irish and German immigrants built and lived in it through much of the first half of the 20th century.
The Kibbee Farmstead is a two-story, cross-gable Dutch colonial house with gambrel gables on the east and west sides. The house is named for Walter and Fannie Kibbee, who built the house after buying the property in 1908. The farm outbuildings in the rear and side yard are contributing elements to the property's listing in the National Register; the latest building is a garage probably added in the 1920s. The farm used to encompass 15 acres and was situated outside of the limits of Lawrence until annexed by the city in 1959. The property was farmed into the 1970s when it was subdivided; the lot is now slightly over 5 acres.
This house on 19th Street, originally built in 1858, is immersed in Civil War history. As a stop on the Underground Railroad that once hosted the Confederate leader William Quantrill, its history is undoubtedly interesting. It is also a prime example of residential architecture from the time. Visiting the house is a great way for anyone in Lawrence to experience a local piece of Civil War history!
The Queen Anne style house at 1646 Massachusetts Street is named for Edward House. The wood frame house on a limestone foundation was constructed in 1894. The House home was listed on the National register in 2007 as an example of its Late Victorian architectural style in the Free Classic subtype. The house was located south of the original boundaries of the town of Lawrence, within Babcock's Enlarged Addition. The nominated structures include an associated garage dating to the 1920s, a cistern, and a below-ground root cellar. A number of prominent members of the community have resided in the home, including bankers and a Kansas University football coach.
The Eugene F. Goodrich House is in a neighborhood in the south section of Massachusetts Street, a few blocks east of Kansas University. The Queen Anne-style wood frame house rests on a limestone foundation and has a gable-on-hip roof. The 2-1/2 story structure was built to be a single family residence in 1890 for the new postmaster; the architect is unknown. The building was listed in the National Register in 2001; at that time, it was a commercial structure housing the offices of Psych Solutions. It now contains the offices of Psychological Resources Inc., a firm that specializes in providing psychological testing of applicants for public safety positions.
The building known by many as "The Castle" was built as a home for John N. Roberts in 1894, a successful merchant, on Massachusetts Street. The Romanesque style building does resemble a castle, with its stone turret and massive presence. The John R. Roberts House was added to the National Register in 1974 for its significance in architecture. By that date, it housed a restaurant and a single dwelling. The location of the Castle Tea Room since the 1930s, the restaurant has reopened after extensive renovations as a special events venue with a new patio and an exterior kitchen. Offices on the second floor of the building were recently leased to the local United Way. A tenant for first-floor offices is being sought. The building is owned by a non-profit foundation established by the late longtime owner and restauranteur of the Tea Room around 2004. A plaque in front of the building details its history.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This driving tour of historic homes begins at the former home of James Naismith and influential Kansas University chancellor Frank Strong. The tour includes landmark homes affiliated with Quantrill's Raid, Bleeding Kansas, and the development of Lawrence and the University of Kansas. The trail concludes at a stately Gilded Era home built by a wealthy merchant that is known locally as "The Castle."
