Sunday, October 2, 2011

Corinthian Hall - The R.A. Long House - Kansas City, MO

While this isn't related to my own genealogy, I've always been fascinated with one of the old homes of Kansas City. It's the home built in the early 1900's which was the city home of former lumber baron R. A. Long. It is the mansion he built on Gladstone Boulevard east of downtown Kansas City, Missouri known as Corinthian Hall named for the columns built on the front porch of the mansion.

This link has many pictures of this home: Corinthian Hall: http://www.ralonghistoricalsociety.org/corhall1.htm

When we were young and in elementary school, it was a tradition that all school children go on a field trip to this old home, because after the owners died and relatives moved on, the mansion had been donated to the City of Kansas City and was used as the official Historical Museum. During those younger years, of course I had no idea how beautiful and historic the home was without the museum items. The historical society has since moved the museum to Kansas City's historic train station Union Station which, thank goodness has also been restored and is now used for various purposed. Corinthian Hall is now being restored to its original glory now that the museum items have been moved.

I can't wait to go there again and see the house again once it's been restored.

This same R. A. Long lumber baron built a country home as well in the form of a self-sustaining farm and community, which also became another important Kansas City landmark. Not only did he build himself and his family a beautiful country estate and grounds, it contained both agricultural and dairy farms. Daughter Loula Long was an award-winning horsewoman and the city home had stables that were used by primarily her, and the country home had a horse-track and beautiful stables as well.

Anyone who is interested in the history of Kansas City should know about these two beautiful homes and their surrounding lands and communities.