Warkentin House facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Warkentin House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Warkentin House
Location	211 East 1st Street, Newton, Kansas
Built	1886
Architectural style	Late Victorian
Website	Website
NRHP reference No.	70000250
Added to NRHP	January 12, 1970

The Warkentin House is a beautiful historic home in Newton, Kansas, United States. It belonged to Bernhard and Wilhelmina Warkentin. This amazing house was built between 1886 and 1887. It is now listed as a special historic place in Kansas and on the National Register of Historic Places. The house is a great example of Victorian period style in American architecture and furniture. You can see how the Warkentins lived, as about 80 percent of their original furniture is still there.

The Warkentin Family History

Bernhard Warkentin was born in Ukraine on June 18, 1847. He came to the United States in 1872. He wanted to learn about farming, business, and government in America.

Wilhelmina Eisenmayer was born in Illinois on November 1, 1852. She and Bernhard got married on August 12, 1875. They had two children: Edna Wella, born in 1876, and Carl Orlando, born in 1880.

Bringing Wheat to Kansas

Railroad companies in America wanted more people to settle in the Great Plains. They told Mennonite farmers about the good things about living in the Midwest. Between 1874 and 1884, about 15,000 Mennonites moved to America. Most of them settled in Kansas. Bernhard Warkentin helped these new settlers. He encouraged them to bring a special type of wheat called Turkey Red hard winter wheat.

In 1873, Warkentin settled in Halstead, Kansas. He built Harvey County's first flour mill there. He also built his farmstead near the Little Arkansas River. While planning his mill, Warkentin visited other mills. He met Wilhelmina at her father's mill in Illinois.

In 1874, Turkey Red wheat was first planted in Kansas. This strong wheat produced a lot of grain. It helped Kansas become known as the "breadbasket of the world."

Bernhard Warkentin's Legacy

Bernhard Warkentin owned mills and grain elevators. These were in Newton and Halstead, Kansas, and also in Blackwell, Oklahoma. He also helped start several important places. These included the Halstead State Bank and the Kansas State Bank. He also helped create the Bethel Deaconess Hospital and Bethel College.

Bernhard Warkentin sadly died in 1908 during a trip. Wilhelmina Warkentin continued to live in their Newton home until she passed away in 1932.

After Wilhelmina's death, she left the house to the Bethel Deaconesses. They used the house until 1970. Then, a group took over to fix up and take care of the house. The house was also added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1973, the city of Newton took ownership. They still run the house as a museum today.

Exploring the Warkentin House Interior

The Warkentin House has many beautiful rooms. Each room shows the fancy style of the Victorian era.

The Grand Foyer Entrance

• The main front door has a special glass panel. It was cut and etched in France.
• English carpenters made the beautiful wooden parts. This includes the main staircase. They also made the fancy wooden designs called fretwork in the foyer.
• Near the front door is a small bathroom. Travelers could clean up there. It has an English cabinet and an Italian marble sink. Even the towel holder looks like a lion's head!
• You can see amazing details everywhere. The walls in the foyer and stairwell have fancy leather-like wood panels called wainscoting.

Parlor and Music Room Fun

• The fireplace in the parlor has a cherry wood mantel. It also has pretty Italian tiles.
• A special sofa in the parlor shows Chinese style. It has carved dog's heads and claw feet.
• Another sofa was made in England. The ceiling has a design that matches the sofa's "gadrooning" pattern.
• The wood in the parlor is cherry-finished walnut. The music room has oak wood. The dining room has walnut wood. The sliding doors between the music room and dining room are clever. Each side matches the wood of its room.
• Both the music room and parlor have sparkling crystal chandeliers. These came from Czechoslovakia.
• The upright piano in the music room belonged to Edna, the Warkentins' daughter. The floor is covered by a beautiful Anglo-Persian carpet.
• The music room is bright and large. It has many windows that let in sunlight.

Dining Room and Kitchen Life

• The Italian tiles on the dining room fireplace show a goddess. She is Demeter from Greek mythology or Ceres from Roman stories. She is the goddess of farming.
• The Warkentins loved to entertain guests. Their china cabinet still holds some of their original dishes. Look for the special chocolate pot!
• The stained glass windows next to the fireplace are very old. They were made before the house was built. People think they came from Russia.
• The wall covering has a large design. This design is also on the bronze chandelier and wall lights.
• The kitchen was not as fancy as the other rooms. The house got electricity soon after it was built. But the old wood and coal stove was used for many years.
• Indoor plumbing was added two years after the house was finished. A servant would pump water up to a large tank in the attic every morning. The kitchen has three sinks made of slate.

Cozy Bedrooms and Travel Treasures

• The main bedroom area has two rooms. There is a sitting room next to it. The birdseye maple furniture set is original to the house.
• The brass double bed in another room also belonged to the Warkentins. Many bedroom furniture pieces are not original. The trunk at the end of the bed was used by the Warkentins when they traveled.
• The parquet floors throughout the house are amazing. They are made from different kinds of wood. The most unique floor is in the main bedroom. It has bright red Russian rugs. These rugs were originally in the music room. Bernhard Warkentin bought them in Russia. They have a thistle pattern, which is Russia's national flower.

The Warkentin Library

• The library has a very interesting fireplace. The tiles are Italian. The hearth has a unique diagonal pattern.
• Bernhard Warkentin's roll-top desk is no longer there. But his wife's oak writing desk is in its place. His favorite chair has cool lion's heads on the arms and claw feet. The coal bucket has a design similar to the front door's etched glass. The walnut library case is special because it was made in Kansas. It was built in Leavenworth and holds family books.

Images for kids

• 

  Bernhard Warkentin, who built the house.

• 

  Wilhelmina Warkentin, Bernhard's wife.