Historic Northeast Mansions, Volume 3, Gladstone Manor

Gladstone Manor was built in 1899 by Oliver Carlat who, with his wife, lived here only a couple of years at most... it is thought that Mrs. Carlat may have died. The Carlats had a hay, feed, furniture and shoes business in the City Market. This post Victorian home was purchased in 1904 by Herman and Martha Dierks and they lived here with several of their children until around 1919. Their daughter, May, was married at the house to Robert Sutherland who was an executive with Dierks Lumber Company. He and May built the house next door south to Gladstone Manor. A few years later Mr. Sutherland founded the Sutherland Lumber Company.

The home has passed through many hands since but was lovingly restored by its current residents Bruce and Veda Rogers who purchased it in 1990. In addition to being its residents and owners, the Rogers operate a Bed and Breakfast in the home. The house is fully protected by an alarm system.
Southside of the home.
Front porch with permanent swing guests Bruno and Walter.
Looking southeast from the porch down Gladstone Boulevard.
The front doors. The Rogers were very lucky in that a majority of the original woodwork, doors and windows remained when they moved in.
The front hallway... this picture does not do justice to the beautiful stained glass window by the stairway to the second floor.
Front hallway looking south into the Music Room.
The Music Room.
Front hallway looking toward the porch and entryway with the Library on the left.
The Library.
The Dining Room has leaded windows and original oak plate rail surrounding the room. A deep sculptured plaster crown sets off the 10-foot ceiling and a 6-foot wide solid oak pocket door leads to the front hall.

Modernization of the kitchen was already underway when Bruce and Veda purchased the home but they completed the task with many design touches of their own. The house has also been complete re-wired, plumbed and has new heating and air conditioning systems.
The Solarium.... this room just screams Sunday morning paper to me.
Heading up to the second of three floors.
Looking down to the first floor from the landing next to the stained glass window and up to the second floor.
Looking down from the second floor.
Second floor hallway. Beautiful old photos of Bruce and Veda's families and other acquisitions line the walls throughout the house.
The Master Bedroom.
Master bath.
Sitting room off the Master Bedroom.

Second floor bathroom.
This is called the Lord Room so named after Veda's grandparents whose portraits are above the bed.

Another "servants staircase" runs from the first to the third floor.
This is called the Billiards Suite (for obvious reasons). Bruce and Veda operated a restaurant and summer theater, Vassar Playhouse, for sixteen years and are musicians by training. Pictorial remembrances of their theatre work line the walls in this third floor room
Bedroom in the Billiards Suite. The bath is below.
Behind the house is a wonderful garden area with waterfall and Koi pond. Flowers bloom all summer long carefully tended by the Rogers. Bruce has also started a vegetable garden this year and is eagerly awaiting harvest time.



I want to thank Bruce and Veda for being so gracious during my photographic visit. If any would link more information on the Bed and Breakfast side of Gladstone Manor here is their website:http://www.gladstonemanor.com/

Corinthian Hall Restoration

Corinthian Hall, pictured above, is being completely restored as closely as possible to its original condition. During its conversion to a museum a lot of detail was lost in terms of woodwork and moldings. Also, many of the contents of the home were sold off or taken to Longview Farm. Really, in much of the house, all that's left is the basic structure and many interior walls had been removed entirely.
The area around the main door of the Carriage House is being prepared for the hanging of large double wooden doors that will look like the original design. They are very heavy.

Christopher Leitch the historic house director for Corinthian Hall gave a "hard hat" tour last Sunday as a part of the Friends of the Kansas City Museum's annual picnic. Here he talks about the servants quarters.
One of the few original furnishings that remains is this sink and the tile surrounding it in the servants area. 25 people were in service to the Longs.

Everything is carefully preserved whether it is to be retained in the structure or not.
Looking northeast in the servants area. All original interior walls in this section are gone.
The ceiling, above, and the floor, below, in the Solarium. The stained glass shown in these windows is original and was produced locally.


Some of the ceiling detail has been preserved although quite a bit of latex paint will have to be carefully removed before that design can truly be appreciated.

Fortunately stain glass windows were saved that were in exterior walls and have been restored.
This window looks east. A detail from the left most panel is shown below.

The ceiling in the dining room awaiting restoration as is the mantel-less fireplace in the same room.


Many famous people dined in this room including the allied leaders prior to heading to the Liberty Memorial for it's dedication in 1926.
Room just off the main hallway on the east side of the home.
Formal living area on the westside of the front of the house.
Some furnishings from the house are kept in storage... but will need extensive restoration just like the house.
Detail of a section of wall in the formal living room.
Looking through the living room window across Gladstone Boulevard to the Stevens' House which is profiled in an earlier post on this site. Mr. Long wished to purchase the house from Mrs. Stevens so he could demolish it... or to persuade her to let him move the building so his view would not be obstructed. She refused. The only landowner who did.
Looking west through the living room window toward the downtown skyline. All of the windows in the home have been replaced with new thermal units that have the same exterior color as the original windows did when the house was completed in 1910.
One of the stained glass windows that has been restored is the beautiful one on the landing between the first and second floors. Here Christopher shows where an organ was located when the Longs were still in residence. (An organ was still there in the 50s when I visited as a kid.)
The restored glass...

One of the few remaining original fixtures. Corinthian Hall cost 1 million in 1909 dollars for land acquisition, home moving and construction. The renovation has no set completion date. The tour also included the second floor... but I had to leave for a graduation party. I will post photos of that floor as soon as I can arrange a tour. :)