The plan today originally was for a 40-mile bike ride on the Flint Hills Nature Trail, but during yesterday's ride it was determined he has a couple loose spokes, so we decided wisdom would dictate we did not want to be miles from nowhere in BFE and have the spokes finish busting. Therefore, needing to stay in civilization we did something a little different for our bike ride today.
I had found online here a self-guided historical walking tour of Old East Lawrence, so we printed that off and did a self-guided bike tour instead.
We started in South Park
The following descriptions of tour stops were taken from the self-guided tour sheet:
1040 New Hampshire: Our first stop was at the corner of 11th and New Hampshire. The English Lutheran Church is a classic example of the picturesque Gothic Revival style. Constructed in two phases in 1870 and 1900, the building was once in danger of being demolished. However, with help from the Lawrence Preservation Alliance, State Historic Preservation Office and local citizens, the structure was saved. Presently it serves as a law office and is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The church was designed by John G. Haskell, architect of the Douglas County Courthouse at 11th and Massachusetts, and Snow Hall on the KU campus.
1002 New Hampshire: Built in 1923, the building once served as a single-bay Phillips 66 gas station. Today it is home to Sunfire Ceramics, a painting and pottery studio.
905 Rhode Island: Built by August Bromelsick between 1863 and 1868 and has housed The Social Service League since 1937. This building continues to serve the community as a thrift store.
900 Rhode Island: The Turnhalle. Built in 1868, it is considered a symbol of German immigration in the Midwest during the 19th century, and was once the social center for the German community in Lawrence. The limestone façade retains most of its original features, including a stone marking above the doorway noting the date of the building’s completion.
Alley between Rhode Island and Connecticut streets: This “snake fence” that sits atop the stone wall is a fine example of Lawrence folk art, which prior to the 1920s and 30s was viewed as simplistic and merely functional.
7th and New York: Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Amtrak Station. The original classic two-story brick station was replaced with the current design in 1955. The modern building reflects the architectural heritage based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Prairie Style.”
9th and New York: Saint Luke African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church. This has been the spiritual home to the African American community in Lawrence for many years. It is also where a young Langston Hughes attended Sunday school in 1913, later writing about his experiences there. Today the building is listed in the Kansas State Historic Register.
936 New York: New York Elementary School. Established in 1869, the present building was built as a public works project during the Depression of the 1930s.
10th and Delaware: At the northeast corner of 10th and Delaware is the latest historic monument in Lawrence, The Hobbs Park Memorial. The area of Hobbs Park was once the homestead of Pennsylvania newspaper publisher John Speer, known for helping to make “Bleeding Kansas” the birthplace of the struggle to end slavery in America. The brick and stone Murphy-Bromelsick House was relocated to Hobbs Park from its original location on the 900 block of Pennsylvania. This modest hand-built home is a wonderful artifact from the Civil War.
11th and Delaware: Municipal Stadium. Built in 1954, it served as home to a semi-pro baseball team and today it is used by city softball leagues.
If the city won't provide it, you take matters into your own hands!
1100 Rhode Island: What looks like a barn on the alley frontage, was in fact a livery stable serving the commercial needs of Lawrence in the 19th century.
