Historic Buildings Garment District Part 1

 We tell our children to make good choices but today I did not follow my own advice.  It is cold today in Kansas City.  I watched the weather and decided to leave about 9 am.  The temps at that time were in the mid 30s with cloudy skies.  The weather lady said the sun would not be out until this afternoon.  I was walking around in the cold.  After 2 hours I was frozen and the sun came out.  I headed home.

It's a holiday week with cold temps so I'm hoping get most of the days covered. 

I walked around the Garment District looking for the area's historic buildings.

Building 1: Phoenix Hotel

Built in1888. The most striking feature of this historic three-story Neo-Romanesque building is the cast iron arch at the 8th street entryway. Since 1990 the first level of the former hotel has been home to The Phoenix, a live music venue that offers nightly jazz.

The Phoenix has a long tradition of drinking establishments, which catered to the locals and travelers up and down the Kaw River until Prohibition.  The club began in 1905 as the Valerius Saloon, named after its proprietor Frank Valerius.

Around 1920, Frank sold to a nice lady who lived upstairs named Madame Linna Laws.  They still served food and booze of the first floor, Linna rented out rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors.  Let's remember she was a Madame.

Building 2:  Exchange Hotel

I can not find any history of this building.

Building 3 Armour and Volker Building

Once again, I can't find any history of this building.

Building 4 - Lechtman Printing Company

No history on this one either.

Building 5 - Bond Shoe Company

A Men's shoe store that was built in 1899.

History from the SoHo Lofts

Comprised of four architecturally unique and historic buildings on West 8th street, the Soho Lofts sit in the heart of the Garment District. These four buildings include the Phoenix Hotel, the Bond Shoe Company, the Armour-Volker building and the Lechtman Printing Company; all of which was built between the years of 1888 to 1915.

The Phoenix Hotel, known for its sordid past as a bordello and bar on the corner of West 8th and Central, was built in 1888 then a decade later, the Bond Shoe Company building was constructed on the other end of the block at West 8th and May. Erected in 1902, the Armour-Volker building was home to clothing manufacturing companies like Talon Zippers and the Kansas City Boys Wear Company. Lastly, the Lechtman Printing Company building was built in 1915 , utilizing historical printing press methodology. Due to Kansas City’s centrality, the Garment District flourished as dry goods, specifically textiles, could be shipped to the West and Southwest regions of the United States as rail corridors converged here; allowing Kansas City-made garments to dominate those markets. So much of the Garment District, particularly West 8th Street, was built up in the very early part of the twentieth century that it looks almost exactly as it did over one hundred years ago.  

 

That's my day.  It is very cold here.  Amazingly, I was not the only person out walking.  I believe most of these buildings are condos you can buy or lofts to rent.  There were a bunch of dog walkers out.   I scared one lady with my list and picture taking.  She turned around and walked the opposite way.  Another guy and his dog just followed me as I walked through the buildings.  He and his dog lived in one of the buildings.  I'm very disappointed I couldn't find more history.

Until tomorrow.