List of the oldest buildings in Kansas
Appearance
This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Kansas, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Kansas. Only buildings built prior to 1860 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.
In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:
- be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
- incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.
This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.
List of oldest buildings
[edit]![]() |
Building | Image | Location | First built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fangro House | Shawnee, Kansas | ca. 1824 | Residence | Oldest building in Shawnee; Located at 5707 Nieman Road; It was made of hand pressed bricks; Now located in front of an electrical business.[1] | |
The Rookery | ![]() |
Fort Leavenworth | ca. 1834 | Military residence | Oldest continuously occupied residence in Kansas.[2] |
West Building | ![]() |
Shawnee Methodist Mission, Johnson County, Kansas | 1839 | Religious/Educational | [3] |
East Building | ![]() |
Shawnee Methodist Mission, Johnson County, Kansas | 1841 | Religious/Educational | [4] |
North Building | ![]() |
Shawnee Methodist Mission, Johnson County, Kansas | 1845 | Religious/Educational | [5] |
Iowa, Sac, and Fox Presbyterian Mission | ![]() |
Highland, Kansas | 1846 | Mission | |
Pottawatomie Baptist Mission Building | ![]() |
Topeka, Kansas | 1849 | School | Indian mission school |
Kaw Mission | ![]() |
Council Grove, Kansas | 1851 | Religious/ Educational | |
Gov. Andrew Reeder Mansion | Shawnee, Kansas | c. 1854 | Residence | Home of Gov. Andrew Horatio Reeder[6] | |
First Territorial Capitol of Kansas | ![]() |
Pawnee, Kansas | 1855 | Government | First territorial capitol of the state; only used for five days |
Hartford House | ![]() |
Manhattan, Kansas | 1855 | Residence | Prefabricated house brought from Cincinnati to Kansas |
Pottawatomie Indian Pay Station | ![]() |
St. Marys, Kansas | 1855 | Mission building | Oldest building remaining at St. Mary's Mission (Kansas) |
1734 Kent Terrace | Lawrence, Kansas | 1855 | Residence | Oldest house in Lawrence[7] | |
Levi Flint House | Johnson County, Kansas | c. 1856 | Residence | [8] | |
Ritchie House | ![]() |
Topeka, Kansas | 1856 | Residence | Oldest house in Topeka[9] |
Barnes Apple Barn | Baldwin City, Kansas | 1857 | Barn | ||
Christian Wetzel Cabin | ![]() |
Junction City, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
Constitution Hall | ![]() |
Lecompton, Kansas | 1857 | Government | Second territorial capitol of Kansas |
Goodnow House | ![]() |
Manhattan, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
Grinter Place | Kansas City, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | Oldest house in Kansas City, KS[10] | |
Hollenberg Pony Express Station | ![]() |
Hanover, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
J. B. Mahaffie House | ![]() |
Olathe, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
Last Chance Store | ![]() |
Council Grove, Kansas | 1857 | Commercial | |
Samuel D. Houston House | ![]() |
Manhattan, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
Samuel J. Tipton House | Harris, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | ||
William C. & Jane Shaft House | ![]() |
Cedar Point, Kansas | 1857 | Residence | |
Judge James Hanway House | Lane, Kansas | 1858 | Residence | ||
Old Castle Hall | Baker University | 1858 | College | Oldest college building in state; Original home to Baker University, now located east of the main campus. The building predates the creation of the State of Kansas by three years. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[11] | |
Robert H. Miller House | Lawrence, Kansas | 1858 | Residence | ||
Irvin Hall | ![]() |
Highland, Kansas | 1859 | School | first permanent building at Highland University in Highland, Kansas. It is the oldest building in Kansas still used for higher education |
Dietrich Cabin | Ottawa, Kansas | 1859 | Residence | Oldest building in Ottawa | |
First Congregational Church (Manhattan, Kansas) | ![]() |
Manhattan, Kansas | 1859 | Church | Oldest Protestant church still in use by its original congregation |
Fort Hays Blockhouse | ![]() |
Hays, Kansas | 1865 | Military | Oldest building in Northwest Kansas |
Darius Sales Munger House | Wichita, Kansas | 1868 | Residence | Oldest building in Wichita, built of hewn logs.[12] | |
Little Stranger Church and Cemetery | ![]() |
Leavenworth County, Kansas | 1868 | Church | Oldest wood-framed church in Kansas |
Freemount Lutheran Church | ![]() |
Lindsborg, Kansas | 1870 | Church | Likely oldest Lutheran church building in Kansas; Oldest in McPherson County |
Hans Hanson House cabin | ![]() |
Marquette, Kansas | 1871 | Residence | Oldest building in Marquette, where town charter was signed. On the grounds of larger residence. |
See also
[edit]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Kansas
- List of oldest buildings on Kansas colleges and universities
- History of Kansas
- Oldest buildings in the United States
References
[edit]- ^ "Shawnee invests in marquee downtown attraction" By Rob Roberts – Reporter, Kansas City Business Journal Sep 26, 2017 https://www.bizjournals.com/kansascity/news/2017/09/26/shawnee-aztec-theatre-grant.html/
- ^ https://www.travelks.com/listing/rookery-(the)/42453/
- ^ https://www.jcprd.com/827/Historic-Properties
- ^ https://www.jcprd.com/827/Historic-Properties
- ^ https://www.jcprd.com/827/Historic-Properties
- ^ https://johnsoncountykansasheritagefoundation.com/explore-johnson-county-history/johnson-county-historic-resources-project/historic-resources-listed-on-the-survey-report-of-existing-structures//
- ^ Chad Lawhorn, "Lawhorn’s Lawrence: The city’s oldest home," Lawrence Journal-World, Dec 1, 2013 https://www2.ljworld.com/news/2013/dec/01/lawhorns-lawrence-citys-oldest-home/
- ^ https://johnsoncountykansasheritagefoundation.com/explore-johnson-county-history/johnson-county-historic-resources-project/historic-resources-listed-on-the-survey-report-of-existing-structures//
- ^ https://www.visittopeka.com/listing/the-historic-ritchie-house/95/
- ^ https://www.visitkansascityks.com/blog/post/historical-homes-in-kansas-city-ks/#:~:text=Grinter%20Place%20Historic%20Site%20is,to%20Moses%20and%20Annie%20Grinter.
- ^ "Historic Campus Architecture Project: Old Castle". Council of Independent Colleges. 2006. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
- ^ https://www.oldcowtown.org/CB/Pages/DAR-and-the-Munger-House.aspx