Скачать или смотреть A 1907 Fire at the Pepper Building Was Captured on Postcards

The Pepper Building in downtown KC suffered a major fire in 1907. Designed by architects Burnham & Root as a YMCA, it became a hub for music teachers, both before the fire and after — when it was known as the Studio Building. It’s now the site of the Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse.

Most picture postcards highlight scenes of natural beauty or eye-catching examples of civic pride.

Occasionally though, they’re more dramatic.

Like this one — part of a 4-card set depicting a fire in downtown Kansas City in 1907 that killed one man and badly damaged the Pepper Building at the corner of 9th & Locust Streets.

The building’s name apparently referred to its owner, Colonel George Pepper. But it actually began life as a YMCA designed by Chicago architects Burnham & Root. Its cornerstone was laid by President Grover Cleveland during a visit to Kansas City in 1887.

Why and how it shifted gears to house tenants like the Kansas City Art Institute (which operated there in 1894) is uncertain. What is known is that the building featured a large interior court with balconies on each floor.

And that the Pepper Building became a haven for music teachers, who lived in it and gave lessons there.

Read Full Story: https://www.kansascity.com/news/local...

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