CAN THIS HOUSE BE SAVED: 505 Exchange Street, Emporia, Kansas

This 1906 Foursquare is around the block from the Cross House. It was listed for sale today at (drum roll, please) $18,000. Yep, you read that right.

 

The price reflects…an issue on the north side. A non-original external chimney was built out of plywood and fake brick. Then, just before Christmas, it caught fire. The fire department is only a few blocks away, and they arrived in time to save the house. While this image is scary, the damage is mostly contained to the non-original chimney.

 

The vinyl siding melted away, revealing wood shingles which appear to be in excellent condition. They are not even charred, just blackened. A quick sanding should reveal pink wood.

 

An aspect of the house which EXCITES me is that it appears to be designed by the architect Charles Squires, who designed the Cross House, lived just down the street, and designed thousands of houses and buildings in Kansas, with most being in Emporia. Houses by Squires can often be identified by tell-tale Squires signatures, like the dentil moulding just under the porch eave, and just under the main eave. See the square blocks? That is dentil moulding and Squires loved it.

 

Squires also loved beveled glass.

 

Lovely main stair. Sadly painted recently.

 

Just yummy. Imagine its beauty with the sloppy paint removed.

 

The stair window. Squires loved stained-glass.

 

The front door retains its original oval glass with a wide bevel.

 

Looking north into the parlor. See the mantel? It, and the fireplace, were installed in the 1970s or 1980s. The parlor originally had no fireplace.

 

You can appreciate how shoved-in-the-corner the mantel looks.

 

The center north window, placed high to accommodate a sofa under. The small bits of the window are beveled jewels. Note how many different style windows are in the house already. Squires loved coming up with unique windows.

 

Looking west are two pocket doors opening into the dining room. The doors are curiously short and I can come up with no explanation except that Squires enjoyed the eccentric. Hi, Brad!

 

In the dining room, looking north, is this lovely bay with yet more unusual windows: the upper sashes are leaded. The Christmas tree is poignant.

 

In the SE corner is this lovely china cabinet. I ache to restore it. Ache!

 

To the west are French doors opening into what seems a home office (as it has an outside door). These doors are directly across from the “short” pockets doors, but the French doors are normal hight. Squires! What a kidder!

 

In the NW corner of the office is a lovely built-in cabinet. Note how it aligns with the adjacent window.

 

And another leaded-glass window (It is not frosted. Just dirty). There is a large leaded-glass window just to the right. On the second floor, all the upper sashes are a wood square design. The outer door in the office is on the north wall.

 

On the second floor are four bedrooms and a scary bathroom. The two front rooms form a suite. Note the utter lack of fire and water damage. The floors are gorgeous.

 

The fire department pulled down much of the ceilings in the two north bedrooms. Note though how the ceiling joists are not only uncharred, they are not even smoke damaged.

 

Most people will run screaming from this house.

But the fire damage, as you can see, is minimal and mostly contained to the north side of the attic. From what I can tell, the roof shingles need to be removed on the north side, and all the roof sheathing. The north roof joists should have new joists sistered on. There are two dormers (east and west); these appear undamaged.

(The attic of the Cross House is also fire damaged, and the above suggested repair is just what happened at the Cross House in the 1960s.)

Fire-damaged houses normally reek of smoke but 505 has but faint traces of smoke. Brad and I were both amazed. Mostly, the house smells musty (it has been closed up).

The basement looks OK. There was some water on the floor. Was this from the rain today, or residual water from the fire?

When built, 505 was a gorgeous, quality house. With each passing decade it has suffered from a lack of maintenance and ill-guided updates. Just as with so many old houses. Just as with the Cross House.

I wish I could buy 505 and revive its status as a gorgeous, quality house. But…I am a bit preoccupied.

I pray that a new owner, after the required repairs, removes that damn fireplace, STAT! Protects all the windows and restores them! Strips the paint from the first-floor woodwork! Strips the vinyl siding!

It is possible that the house could be listed on the Kansas Register (Squires being the draw). If so, this would qualify it for a Kansas Heritage Grant, up to $90,000. Kansas is the only state I know of offering such assistance to historic properties.

 

 

12 Comments

  1. Karyn Semple on January 30, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    I’ve never been so tempted to move to Kansas! Your town looks to have quite a few gems. My husband is very handy but staunchly opposed to fixing up an old house. I love to dream about it though, and live vicariously through others who share their experiences.

  2. Kim on January 30, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Ok – now, I’m completely horrified – the “chimney” wasn’t even real brick!! AND there was NO fire brick or even kaowool surrounding that metal stack – WTF?!

    That said …

    The house is interesting – charmingly understated, in fact & certainly worth saving. The floors, windows, built-ins, pocket & french doors are definitely a bargin for the price. 💜 I must say, I adore the calm beauty of that north window – that’s the true jewel of the room for me.

    Whomever gets it, will live in quite a handsome home. A little bit of love … usually gives a lot back. 🌻

  3. Ross on January 31, 2021 at 12:05 am

    Steve wrote to me with the following about 505:

    “The Bordenkircher sisters, who were maiden ladies, owned the house and lived there from 1921 to 1964. Flora B. performed Lohengrin’s Wedding March at the organ for many a Catholic wedding in Emporia. She did funerals, too. The sisters may have rented rooms to women, according to brief news clips in The Emporia Gazette.

    In a 1976 real estate classified, 505 Exchange is advertised as a large “solid house” in need of redecoration.”

    Cool!

  4. Colin S Boss on January 31, 2021 at 4:43 am

    Hi Ross,

    I’m hoping someone picks this bargain up stat (to borrow one of your terms!). I’d love to get stuck into restoring a house of this size – not too big, not too small and with enough original features to keep me motivated. The price is beyond amazing.

    Meantime, I’d love to know who thought up the fake chimney – what was going through their mind? I assume whoever slapped the paint on the corner cabinet, with the lovely Art Nouveau inspired leaded glass; and staircase, either did it in the dark or was aiming for a mottled effect!

    Crossing my fingers No. 505 goes to someone who nurses it back to glory.

    Colin

  5. Sharon on January 31, 2021 at 6:04 am

    Kelly should post this on Old House Dreams! Great venue for attracting the kind of buyer this lovely home requires. What a golden opportunity! (I too am enamored by the built-in’s Art Nouveau motif–and everything else in this beautiful place.)

    P.S. I’m in Sedalia, MO, and would quickly snatch this up and do my due diligence but the daily commute to work would kill me!

    • Laurie L Weber on January 31, 2021 at 8:05 am

      Thank you for making me laugh! I agree (from Iowa)!

  6. Laurie L Weber on January 31, 2021 at 8:08 am

    “I’m a bit preoccupied” Understatement of the day!!!! But beautiful house – I also hope someone will save and love it. (I am also into watching urban explorers on youtube and think that so many times of the houses they explore – oh to win the lottery)! (course I’d have to actually buy a ticket)! 🙂

  7. Kathy on February 19, 2021 at 10:00 pm

    What a gem!! Kansas would put me even further from my son and his family than I already am, but I’m tempted.

    • Ross on February 20, 2021 at 10:46 am

      Bring your family with you, Kathy! It’s a big house!

  8. Tara on March 15, 2021 at 8:42 pm

    Put TV on tonight for the first time in forever. Watching ‘The Voice’. The girl with the beautiful voice lives in Emporia, Kansas! Wouldn’t have noticed the name, had it not been for your inspiring blog.

    • Gretchen on August 25, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      That would be Savannah Chestnut! She went to my little high school 20 miles north of Emporia. I know some of her classmates very well, but I don’t know her that well. From what I do know, she is a good, kind, and genuinely nice human with a stunning voice. She’s been singing since she was a kid, and is now touring with her band, Savannah Chestnut and the Field Hands. They even go to other states. Perhaps you’ll hear her again someday!

  9. Karen L Grohs on July 11, 2021 at 4:13 pm

    I was told that those high-up windows in the parlors of old houses were “piano windows” – high up so that a piano would fit under them, not a sofa.

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