Charles S. Keith House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Charles S. Keith House
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 Location in Missouri
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1214 W. 55th St., Kansas City, Missouri |
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| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Shepard, Farrar & Wiser; Hare & Hare |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000308 |
| Added to NRHP | March 31, 2000 |
The Charles S. Keith House, also known as the J. C. Nichols House, is a special old home in Kansas City, Missouri. It's located at 1214 West 55th Street. This beautiful house is about two and a half stories tall. It was built in the Georgian Revival style. The house sits on a large piece of land, about three acres, in a famous area called the Country Club District.
History of the Keith House
The Charles S. Keith House was designed in 1913. A Kansas City architecture firm, Shepard, Farrar & Wiser, created the plans. The house was finished and ready in 1914.
The first owner was Charles Keith. He was a very successful businessman who worked with timber and wood. He was the president of a company called Central Coal & Coke. In 1920, Mr. Keith decided the house was too big for him. He sold it to J.C. Nichols. Mr. Nichols was a well-known real estate developer in Kansas City. This means he bought land and built homes and neighborhoods. Nichols lived in the house until he passed away in 1950.
Later, Charles Keith became famous again in 1940. He was chosen to be the temporary mayor of Kansas City. This happened between the time Mayor Bryce B. Smith resigned and when John B. Gage became the new mayor.
Inside and Outside the House
The Charles S. Keith House is very large. It has twenty-two rooms inside. There are also six full bathrooms. Plus, there are many smaller storage areas.
The outside of the house is also very fancy. It has detailed stone carvings. There are also several pergolas, which are garden structures with open roofs. A large carriage house is also on the property.
The three-acre grounds around the house were designed by a landscape architecture firm called Hare and Hare. They created beautiful formal gardens. The original design also included a special lily pool and a vegetable garden.
