Stop Ten
3414, 3429, 3435 Coleman Road
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3435 Coleman Road was built in 1910 by Willard I. Rush, a real estate developer, for himself. Rush’s son, Willard I. Rush, Jr., also lived in this house when it was built and the two owned Rush and Rush Real Estate Company, which built four houses on Karnes Boulevard behind this house. (See stop 11.)
This unique house does contains Craftsman influences in the exposed rafters and building materials of stone and tile. The upper half-story of the house sits above a very flat shed dormer. The house still contains its original nine-over-one paned windows.
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3429 Coleman Road was designed by John W. McKecknie in 1912 for Louis Jones, a salesman. McKecknie came to Kansas City in 1896 and often experimented with reinforced concrete, a very new material for the time. He designed several prominent downtown buildings, including the Gumbel Building, the Siegrist Engraving Company and the Grand Avenue Temple and Office building. This home was built of stucco with brick trim for $6000.
Things to Notice:
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Full front porch that extends to the south side of the house.
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Angled front door.
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False thatched roof, often used to mimic the thatched roofs of the English countryside. This house contains box gutters, which are built into the roof.
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Soldier and sailor brick trim around the door and windows. “Soldiers” are the bricks standing on end and “sailors” lie horizontally.
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3414 Coleman Road was designed by architect Whitman Dart and built by the Long Construction Company for Ralph Swofford and his wife, Jewell, in 1910. Swofford was the owner of the Swofford Realty and Swofford Investments companies. By 1917, Ralph Swofford had moved to a smaller house at 912 W. 34th Street, and his parents, James J. and Fay Swofford moved into this house from their mansion on Gladstone Boulevard.
James Swofford came to Kansas City in 1887 and owned the Swofford Brothers Dry Goods company, located at Eighth and Broadway Streets with his brothers until it dissolved in 1909. He went into the investment banking business with his son, Ralph, and developed many Kansas City neighborhoods, including Coleman Highlands. He was appointed president of the Park Board in 1901 and the Park and Boulevard system was developed under his administration.
Mr. Swofford had terrible luck with automobiles back when they were a novelty in Kansas City. He was one of the first motorists in the city to have his car stolen and, in 1921, his was one of the first cars to roll into Troost Lake.
After the senior Swofford moved to this house, he only lived here one or two years. He must have enjoyed the neighborhood, however, because by the early 1920s he purchased the house across the street at 3421 Coleman Road. He lived there until the late 1930s, but the house remained in the family for a number of years.
Things to Notice:
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The very tall top floor of this house makes it a full three stories tall. The top floor of the garage (built in 1913) is also very tall.
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The small dentil molding (resembling teeth) above the porch, the larger dentils on the side of the house between the second and third stories and the very large dentils (called modillions) between the first and second stories.
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The porch is supported by double columns.
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Shed dormer between the two front gables.
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Finials at the peaks of the side gables.
Q & A:
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What materials do you see on this house? Stucco, wood trim, two colors of brick.
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Why is the brick two different colors? The older brick is darker red.
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Is this house symmetrical? Yes.