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Wednesday, June 7, 1972
University Summer Kansan
1015 Tennessee St.
1307 Massachusetts St.
KANSAN Staff Photos by PRISCILLA BRANDSTED
1613 Tennessee St.
Old West Lawrence
By MOLLY LAFLIN Kansan Writer
This year the National Park Service designated Old West Lawrence and a house located at 1015 Tennessee historical sites.
Jim Postma, former president of the Old West Lawrence Association, said that the park will be responsible for the preservation of National parks and places of some historical importance. To preserve 19th century houses in Kansas and to preserve Kansas State Historical Site Survey nominated Old West Lawrence and the house at 1015 Tennessee to the National Parks Office for consideration as historical sites.
Postma said this designation meant that the houses in this area could not be taken for federal land or as part of the National Park Service.
The houses pictured were built in the 19th century. These and other houses help tell the story of the family from its early years to the present.
Shortly after Stearns left, Paul bought a book and purchased a back of goods, and moved them into the building, making the fast cabin alsa the guest room.
New England setters arriving later that year decided to organize a town company. They considered Stearns an obstacle and bought him out for $500. There still remains a cement store in the town, which reads "Site of the first house in Lawrence, 60 feet East."
The first house in Lawrence was built in 1854. It was a log cabin about 18 by 24 feet, erected by Clark Sterns, a prosleya house from Missouri who built the farm as a squatter's claim for a farm.
In 1860, Hiram Towne, a local carpenter, built a house at 743 Tennessee.
In addition, he built Old North
College, the first University building on Mount Oread.
At the time of Quantrill's raid in 1863, the Towne house was owned by a Mrs. Hoyt who operated it as a boarding house. The house was spared by the raiders because Mrs. Hoyt pleaded that she would worm and the house was her only source of income.
After changing hands several times, the house was bought by F.W. Jaedicke, a gunsmith and hardware merchant. Jaedicke added the bay window, the circular portion at the south end of the house, and the present iron fence which replaced a wooden picket fence.
by Col. John O'Brien, a brickmaker, who was the first mayor of Lawrence. James Gideon, Lawrence's best-known architect, worked on the Kansas Statehouse and old Fresher Hall at the front section of the house at 1613 Tennessee. This is one of the most splendid of the town's early houses, featuring cherry woodwork, gold leaf moldings, woodworked dog heads, waiscotting and ten fireplaces.
In 1869, Judge Solon Thacker bought the house. He had been chairman of the Wyandotte county brought statehood to Kansas in 1861. After 1872, when Thacher became ambassador to Central America, changes were made in the house. A back half was added with its original owner, Neil Macekaye and Tom Maupin bought the house in 1960. Since then the house and grounds were donated to their original magnificence.
Construction of the house at 1501 Pennsylvania St. is began on Friday. The raiders set the partially-completed structure afire, but the house was not destroyed. But the scars from the fire remain.
Austin H. Turney bought the house in 1931 when he came to Lawrence to organize the Bureau of Business Turney still lives in the house.
Lawrence citizens commonly refer to the house at 1307 Oak Lane in Castle. It was built in 1894 for J. N. Roberts, a retired Civil War room in The Castle are finished in a different wood. There are five fireplaces, each of unique color. The multicolored marble. Above the tower is a roof garden, and on the third floor there is a large wooden wall.
Located at 645 Tennessee St. is the house built for H. Tisdale sometime between 180 and 1818, with a beautiful, gently dented some time previously in a small house on the same property, and a family businessmen who shared in the post-Civil War prosperity did likewise, abandoning their earlier homes for more spacious apartments toward the end of the century.
Mrs. Addie Penny, the house's present, owner, was one of the first tenants to rent the Penny now rents the building which is divided into 12 apartments.
Beta Theta Pi Fraternity, which bought the house in 1912, added the rear wing of the building as a dormitory.
In 1872 the house at 1425 Tennessee St. was built for John Palmer Uher, former secretary of the Interior under Lincoln. The house is mayor of Lawrence, but was unpopular with the townpeople.
Much of Lawrence's history is in its houses. Jim Postma said that Lawrence was rather unique because of the preservation of so many of its old homes. He said, "It is really important to the preservation of these houses continue to be important to the Lawrence community."
1501 Pennsylvania St.
1425 Tennessee St.
1501 Pennsylvania St.