Northeast Fall Homes Tour - Volume Two

Tom and Kate O'Donnell were the first to live in this Independence Plaza Home built in 1909 for $2,000.  Tom was a Kansas City Police Officer whose beat was in the West Bottoms.  Another Tom, Tom Ribera owns the home today with his wife Laura Remy.  It's a work in progress as extensive renovations are required.

Above, two of the docents for the home Leslie Caplan, President of Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association, and her niece.

Above, former residents of the home look at photos on the wall.  This home stayed in the O'Donnell/Sullivan family for three generations.

The Lykins Neighborhood is the site of this Myrtle Avenue home built in 1890.   In 1895 the residence became the "Door of Hope" a home for "fallen women and incorrigible girls."  In June 2008 Jason and Candy Fields bought the home.  As the house had been abandoned for quite some time, it was in pretty poor shape.  New HVAC in the attic, 100 sheets of sheetrock.. and duct work have brought the old charmer back.

The Fields are founders of the Urban Farming Guys... a group that believes in sustainability and making their living from the earth.

There is an aquaponics system in the greenhouse above, and they also raise fish all year long in the same facility.

The home is powered by a solar-array that provides 25kilowatts of power.   Rainwater is collected from the array and stored in large barrels that feed a drip-line to the plantings.  The array provides all the electricity the home needs.

The Sheffield Neighborhood is home to Our Lady of Peace Parish (formerly St. Stephens) and the rectory was on tour as well as the church.  The stone for this home, built in 1908 for $3,000, was quarried in the East Bottoms.  The architectural style is "Cornbelt Cube"..  It has been sub-divided into offices for the Parish.    In 1918 the Priest stood on the second floor balcony to conduct Mass in hopes of avoiding the spread of the Spanish Flu then ravaging the country.

Above, the newel post and railing are original.

In 1919 the church was built with stone quarried from downtown Kansas City.  It cost $30,000.

Another Sheffield home built ca 1900 and 1902 in the Vernacular Farmhouse style.  The first recorded resident was Albert B. Baird, a house carpenter.

Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Morales, who lived next door, purchased this home for rental income.  They transferred ownership of the home to their son Mark who lives there today.  Mark Morales is also President of the Sheffield Neighborhood Association.

Northeast Homes Tour Part 2

 Charles B. Leach Mansion/Garfield Heights

This High Victorian Queen Anne style home was built in 1887 for lumbar baron Charles B. Leach.  

The current owners, Michael G. Ohlson, Sr. and Kent T. Dicus, purchased the house in 2003.

 Harvey A. Brower Residence

Current owners, Cisse Spragins & Sean O'Toole

 This home is Italian Renaissance Revival which was popular throughout the United States in the early part of the last century.  It was built for retired umber man Harvey A. Brower who passed away before its completion in 1910.  His widow and two daughter-both married to doctors, moved in upon it's completion.

 Walls are three courses of bricks thick-14 inches.

 The current owners are very active in the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood and estimate that their restorative work is about 30% complete.  The home used to have a porch on the front... and plans are for that to be restored.

 The latest part of the house to be restored is the dining room, above and below.

 Entry hall above and below.