Harry
Truman, giving a speech in 1952 after his presidency to a group of scholars in
Virginia about the keys to the success of the country, states the
following: “Youth, the hope of the
world. That was the motto on the front
door of the high school from which I was graduated, only it was written in
Latin, “Juventus Spes Mundi.” I will
never forget it. I never have forgotten
it, and I still think that youth is the hope of the world, and that they always
will be. It is just as true now as it
was when I came out of that small town high school. It is necessary for the
young people to understand the road to be followed, if this country is to
accomplish the mission which God intended it to accomplish in this world.” This simple Latin expression assembled in
stained-glass and displayed prominently above the main entrance to the only school
young Harry received a diploma from, guided the 33rd president
throughout his political career as one the greatest US presidents and world leaders
of the 20th century. Truman
also understood the importance of public architecture with its symbols of
values and strength and provided leadership in maintaining and preserving
public buildings for their continued use for the citizens of a strong democracy. He didn’t just discard them when situations
became difficult. It’s somewhat ironic
that the very property where “Juvenus Spes Mundi” was inscribed above the
entrance doorway lintel, the Independence Public Schools abandons an empty historic
building once dedicated to youth and now contaminated with toxic mold while
turning it over to a for-profit developer to convert it to low-income senior housing. And the Independence Public Schools
invested tremendously in an old hospital property next to the local campus of
Graceland University to develop their administrative offices and a business
incubator for young start-ups and entrepreneurs, then supported low-income
senior housing in the adjacent high-rise that was ideally located to support
commercial use for young entrepreneurs or youth education. And the Independence School District supported
the sale and redevelopment of two historic elementary school buildings for, you
guessed it, low-income senior housing located in neighborhoods with high
concentrations of low-income rental property and desperate for investments from
young families. And with the closing of
reputable youth institutions such as the YMCA, St. Mary’s High School, etc. along
with cuts to Head Start and other programs for young students, are we
experiencing trends that will sustain our community and support investments in market-rate
housing, businesses, and job creation?
Will these trends attract young families to Old Town Independence? Shouldn’t we be maintaining and expanding
youth institutions and programs for the generation of US citizens that will be
responsible for the 17-trillion-dollar debt (and climbing) from entitlement
spending attributed to our generation for, in part, government-subsidized
housing programs? Aren’t we just digging
the hole deeper? Will our youth still be
considered the “Hope of the World” when saddled with inflated college loans,
neglected neighborhoods and infrastructure, and a monumental national
debt?
The bricks, mortar, wood millwork, windows, and doors have
no soul. The books, artwork, sculpture,
photographs, and artifacts do not breathe.
The built environment of streets, sidewalks, stone retaining walls,
street lamps, and grid of neighborhood blocks do not speak, comprehend, or
plan. It’s “just dead stuff” to articulate
the profound statements of an apparent spokesperson of Heritage House
Apartments, a circa-1973 11-story tall government-subsidized public housing
complex placed smack dab in the middle of history. The apartment building, built by the RLDS
Church, on property obtained through eminent domain from an African-American
neighborhood, is surrounded by a historic neighborhood, the Truman National
Historic Landmark District, the circa 1840/1852 Owens-McCoy House (a National
Park Service Certified Santa Fe Trail Property), three nationally designated
pioneer trails (Santa Fe, Oregon, & California), and the Harry S Truman
Presidential Library & Museum. It’s
the only commercial building in the view shed of the front steps of the Truman
Library, a view President Truman himself was successful in protecting from
commercial development until his death in 1972.
The “dead stuff” quote ended up on the front page of the Local Section
of the Kansas City Star a few months ago quoting a gentleman who also happened
to be the father of the First District Councilwoman. He is also a resident of Heritage House with
a seventh-floor vantage point of our historic built environment that includes the
surrounding Antebellum, Victorian, and Craftsman-style homes occupied by living/breathing
families. These statements are very
revealing about the attitudes of many in the community and in City Hall, that
our rich history needs to be pushed to the “back of the bus” and is literally
and figuratively “dead.” And so there is
no need to include historic preservation into city planning efforts, economic
development strategies, and tourism opportunities. There appears to be some fear (as depicted in
the image above) that historic preservation is some kind of terrorizing threat
to the living!
On September 7, 2013, 80 years from the last rededication
ceremony which was under the guidance and leadership of Presiding Jackson
County Judge, Harry S Truman, we are blessed with a wonderful interior and
exterior restoration of the historic County Courthouse. I applaud Mike Sanders, County Executive, and
his partners at the County Legislature and County Public Works and the
professional designers, restoration consultants, and construction contractors for
the completion of this three phase project.
And it was accomplished using county resources, delivered on time, and
under budget. This project fulfills one of the main goals in
the City of Independence’s “Tourism Strategic Plan,” complied in 1998 by
consultants from Arizona, to create a tourist visitor’s center within the
courthouse. Yes, it has taken 15 years to
fulfill that goal stated in that Tourism Plan that, frankly speaking, is a strategy
that was outdated years ago. The City of
Independence tried to take the leadership on the courthouse restoration project
about 6-7 years ago and even produced floor plans on how they wanted every
corner of the space used in the courthouse.
Then somebody from the city figured out the obvious, “It’s a County
building, not a City building, and we have no control over it!” Thanks again to the County of Jackson and
for providing wonderful space for the priceless collection of the Jackson
County Historic Society archives and a research center. Also the McClain’s deserve a big “Thank You”
for the display of their priceless collection of artwork in the County’s wonderful
second floor gallery and adding another dimension of importance to the historic
courthouse and the Independence Square.
Job well done!
When I observed the location of one of the new “Independence
– Real People – Real Progress” billboards on 24-Highway, it seem fitting and actually
says a lot about our actual progress here in the historic area of town. It’s adjacent to an unkept lot with overgrown
vegetation and code violations, adjacent to the oversized and prominent
high-voltage lines that traverse in front of the Truman Library and dissect a
National Historic Landmark District, adjacent to a used vehicle lot where
vehicles are displayed on grass and gravel, across from the scrap metal dealer
where stolen copper lines and bronze artwork end up, a corridor where about 40
businesses have abandon property, and a once prominent corridor that moved
wagon trains towards the west that now handles migrant vagrants traveling east from
KC. It’s a street that KC has
prominently named “Independence Avenue” but locals here call it by its State
Highway 2-digit number. And to top it
off, the PR campaign that brought us this billboard was financed with public
funds from our Heritage Tourism budget.
Yes, that’s right, this billboard at this location does send a message.
Luke 21:25 – “And there shall be signs ……” and here they are! St. Mary’s Catholic has begun marketing their
property with these large 2-sided commercial signs. Three of these signs are prominently posted
on three of their four corners of the city block that makes up their church and
school buildings embedded in our historic neighborhood. Not sure if only some or all of their
property and buildings are for sale.
Last year, they announced they were closing only their school. Most churches like to maintain ownership of
the property around them for the potential of future expansion or, in at least one
case here in the neighborhood, for “self-defense.” Good luck St. Mary’s. It was a great 160-year run. And maybe posting this blog and photo will
assist in marketing the project.
Razor Wire! Yes, that
is right. The introduction of this architectural
element is a first for the Truman National Historic Landmark District, thus
making history. I missed the unveiling
ceremony at the First Baptist Church. It’s my understanding that
razor wire and even barbed wire (which they have also) are not legal in
residential areas. The adjacent
neighbors have quite a view from the backs of their lots and not to mention
that this is what church members see as they enter their building through their
main entrance.
As
yet another construction season is passing, we wait again for a sign that the
City’s chosen developer, Builders Development Corporation, has access to a
calendar. Three properties sit vacant,
boarded-up, and deteriorating here in the Truman National Historic Landmark
District shown above (417 W. Farmer, 423 N. Pleasant, and 419 N. Pleasant) with
the promise from City Hall that they will be restored to preservation standards
for owner-occupied single-family residential.
This activity was funded through a federal program, NSP – Neighborhood
Stabilization Program, intended to put foreclosed and abandon houses back on
the market. 417 W. Farmer currently sits
with an active extension cord running over the front sidewalk. It had been the source of 8 code complaints
in the last 2½ years. 423 N. Pleasant
sits with huge holes in the roof and was the source of 17 code complaint over
the last 10 years. 419 N. Pleasant was
acquired by the City 3 years ago with the plan for its eventual
restoration. It has been the source of
15 code complaints over the last 7 years.
Imagine living adjacent to all three of these properties while trying to
apply for a refinance or rehabilitation loan on your property and convincing
the bank that this neighborhood is worth investing in. Our First District Councilperson doesn’t have
to image being close to these properties since they are visible from her front
porch. And the Mayor lives about a block
away. As the City routinely goes into
debt to fund projects in the Little Blue Valley, we are told to be patience while
the irreplaceable rots and drags down the adjacent blocks representing a significant
part of the heart of the historic district.
It was also the area of concern when the Missouri Alliance for Historic
Preservation listed the Truman NHLD on their Top Ten List of most endangered
landmarks. That was over five years
ago. It’s ironic that a federally funded
program intended to bring up the value of neighborhood blocks is, instead,
making the situation worse in a federally designated historic district. Is this what the city calls “Real Progress?”
