Epperson House

 Everyone seems to be talking about Epperson House in Kansas City.  Wednesday it was announced this wonderful mansion is being saved! 

Just look at this beauty

I took this picture this morning.

The plan:  A local group, Sunflower Development Group, has secured permission to proceed with a historic redevelopment project involving one of Kansas City’s most beloved assets.  The group’s vision would maintain the rich historic heritage of Epperson House while transforming it for modern day use into a 14-room boutique hotel with a café, small library bar, full-service restaurant, intimate event space and a hydrothermal spa offering body and facial treatments, ancient European baths, hot and cold therapies, visiting practitioner workshops and retreats and other wellness programming.

Also today.

The Story

Built in 1920, Epperson House was the home of Kansas City insurance tycoon Uriah Epperson and his wife, Mary. The 54-room mansion cost $500,000 ( $8 million today) and was a blend of a castle and Tudor-style home. Mary called the mansion "Epperson's Folly".

The Eppersons were patrons of music and the arts. Among the charities they supported was the Kansas City Conservatory, now-known as the UMKC Conservatory. Their grand home included a Great Hall, where they would host friends and included a stage, where they would arrange for performances.

Picture of house

Above the Great Hall, sits a custom organ loft. Though childless, the Eppersons befriended Harriet Barse, an organ instructor from the Conservatory whom they regarded as their adopted daughter. Barse even moved into Epperson home. She commissioned the organ and intended to entertain guests, but she fell ill and died before the organ was installed. While she never played the organ during her lifetime, it is the topic of strange encounters reported in the home, with reports of organ music coming from the basement.

Philanthropist Uriah Spray Epperson died in 1927 and left the house to his wife.  She stayed in the house until her death in 1939. A few years later, Epperson’s business associate J.J. Lynn donated the building to the University of Kansas City (now UMKC).

The building served as a dormitory for Navy air cadets during World War II, then it was used by various UMKC departments, such as the School of Education and, most recently, the Department of Architecture, Urban Planning and Design. It has been closed since 2011.

I would like to be very clear - I did not break into the house.  The pictures of the inside to the house were copied from the UMKC website and most of the story was too.  I have read several articles and compiled them.

Until tomorrow.