REHABILITATING AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE
WESTHEIGHT MANOR
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
Welcome to Westheight Manor. You have now purchased a home in a
neighborhood that has long been recognized as one of the most historically
significant in all of the Kansas City area, due to the large number of
architecturally significant structures in Westheight. Much of Westheight
Manor has been listed as an Historic District in the National Register of
Historic Places since 1975 and the Register of Historic Kansas Places
since 1977, and in 1981-82, all of the houses in Westheight were included
in both the State and National Registers. This significant honor was
accorded to Westheight because of the overall character of the
neighborhood and the beauty and quality of the structures therein.
As a new homeowner in Westheight, you may have questions about the
requirements for maintaining an architecturally significant house. Common
questions may be; "What can I do? What can I not do? What am I
required to do to maintain the historic character of the house?"
This publication has been put together to attempt to answer those
questions. While the definitive answer to many situations may require
different considerations, this paper can guide you and answer most
questions that may arise.
The information contained herein comes from several sources, including
the Kansas State Historical Society, the U.S. Department of the Interior,
the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas and the
Kansas City, Kansas Landmarks Commission. Those sources may be consulted
for further information about specific requirements, or to answer more
detailed questions than may be answered here. Also, board members of the
Historic Westheight Neighborhood Association may be able to answer
specific questions, or direct you to someone who may know the answer to
any question you may have. Please feel free to call upon any of them.
For more general information about the history of Westheight Manor and
many of the significant houses in the neighborhood, read the 137-page
historic study of the area that was published by the City in 1990. While
they last, printed copies of this study may still be obtained from either the
Historic Westheight Neighborhood Association or the Planning and Zoning
Division of the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, KS.
Enjoy your new, old house!
DISCLAIMER: Information and links on
these pages are offered as a public service. The Historic Westheight
Neighborhood Association does not guarantee the accuracy, reliability, or
completeness of the information provided on these pages. Anyone
contemplating rehabilitation of an historic structure should consult all
proper authorities before beginning work. |