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Lightburne Historic District Walking Tour
Extension 47 - Introduction to Lightburne District
The Lightburne Historic District contains a diverse collection of mostly late 19th and early 20th century structures with a variety of housing styles, types, and sizes. Included are pre-Civil War Greek Revival residences, several Queen Anne style buildings, Prairie style buildings, simple National Folk forms, and early twentieth century vernacular styles. Although there are many good examples of buildings from all periods of Liberty's history in the district, the Lightburne district contains some of the city's best examples from the late nineteenth century. The houses are generally on small lots close to the Courthouse Square and continuing north.
Lots in the Jewell District nearer the William Jewell campus having generally larger lots. Even though the houses represent a wide span of construction dates, the physical features of the district help unify the setting. All of the streets are the typical rectangular grid laid over the rolling topography. There are alleys behind many houses, and the tree-lined streets and historic lamp posts all contribute to the historic sense of time and place within the district. The district as a whole retains integrity of location, setting, feeling, association, materials, and design.
Extension 48 - 100 Block of N Water Street
Several houses in the 100 block of North Water Street deserve special mention.
At 133 N Water St is the Conway House. This was formerly the residence of the Conway Family who operated one of the best grocery stores in Liberty around 1900. It now houses one of many law firms in Liberty. It is a much altered two story building with stucco and false half-timbering siding and dark sash windows. Notice the fine stone foundation, one of the oldest in town.
136 N Water St is the Gill Place on the northeast corner of Mississippi St and Water St. It is worth looking at for its remarkable combination of architectural features.
The Sandusky House is at 139 N Water St. This Folk Victorian House was built by Sidney Sandusky who sold it to his brother Ephraim Sandusky for $2500 in 1895. This one story double pen house has clapboard siding and a one story clapboard gable roof addition. The flat roof porch has tapered square wood columns. Decorated vergeboards, and paired tall, narrow windows are characteristic of the late nineteenth century.
Sidney Sandusky was born in Jessamine County, Kentucky Feb. 27, 1843. In 1855 the Sandusky family moved to Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. His father died before the move. Sidney attended William Jewell College, beginning his studies there at the age of 15. He was an attorney and a partner with Frederick Gwinner, a very well known Liberty Attorney. He became recorder for the county in 1870 and served eight years. Then was elected Clerk of the Circuit Court and served eight years. After which he was a partner with State Senator Simrall. After a brief 3 years he opened his own practice, Sandusky & Sandusky which he formed with his younger brother James M. Sandusky who was a judge of the circuit court. Ephraim Sandusky, the older brother of Sidney also attended William Jewell College focusing on science. Much of his life Ephraim trained race horses. When his health forced him to quit working he became a full time trainer traveling around the country winning a majority of the races his horses entered. Ephraim married Mary Morton, daughter of William & Julia Morton of Liberty. His daughters went to Hawthorne Academy on N. Water St and his son went to William Jewell College.
Extension 49 - 200 Block of North Water Street
The 200 block of North Water Street has several houses worthy of note beginning with the William Chrisman House at 202 N Water. This two story Prairie style house has brick veneer on the first story and stucco on the second. The low hip roof has very wide overhanging eaves, and wide hip eaves extend around from the front porch to also separate the first story from the second, further emphasizing the horizontal lines of the house. The porch has massive square brick columns. A large exterior brick chimney pierces the roof eaves.
At 203 N Water St is the Cartwright-Gill House. This house was built in 1895 by Alfred Cartwright. This two story Queen Anne residence has the highly irregular roof line typical of the style, with cross gables on hip. There is a three story circular tower at the southwest corner. The vinyl and wood sided house has a wrap around porch with hip roof and gabled pedimented entrance. In 1846 Alvan Lighburne purchased this property. In 1892 Ellen Lighburne-Miller sold this lot to Alfred Cartwright and then in 1919 ownership was sold to James Gill whose family owned it until the 1930's. It features several nice pocket doors, a split door and a spiral staircase.
The Judge Hughes House is at 210 N Water. This was the site of the first school house in Liberty, a log cabin built in the 1820s and destroyed by a cyclone in the 1880s. This site now hosts a two-story Prairie style brick house with a hip roof with a hip bay, dormer, and porch. All roofs have widely overhanging eaves, and the porch roof line is picked up again on the south bay of the house. The front porch has massive square brick columns. The main entry door has leaded glass sidelights.
At 216 N Water St is the John Dougherty House built in 1890. This two story clapboard Queen Anne residence has the typically irregular compound roof, with a gable front bay set on a truncated hip roof, and additional hip roofs, one with a gablet, to the rear. All roofs are steeply pitched and have boxed overhanging eaves and end returns. There is a two story porch set within the front ell that has simple wood columns. There are brackets under the eaves, as well as under the cornice of the second story oriel window. A first story window has a large semi-circular transom, and several windows have stained and leaded glass panels. There are shingles in the front gable attic as well as a triangular attic window. A contributing wood shed with gable roof is to the rear. The home was originally owned by the Hon. John Dougherty. A grandson of Major John Dougherty, he was born in 1857 at Iatan, Platte County, Missouri. He was the son of Lewis B. & Anna Dougherty. Mr. Dougherty was the editor of the Liberty Tribune from 1885 to 1888. He was elected prosecuting attorney for Clay County in 1888 and served as 3rd District congressman for Missouri. Mr. Dougherty died in 1905. The arch at the Fairview Cemetery entrance was built in his memory by his daughters. From 1906 to 1921 this house served as the home of the Sigma Nu Fraternity.
Extension 50 - Lightburne Hall at 301 North Water St
At 301 N Water St. you find Lightburne Hall. This building was built in 1852 by Major Alvan Lightburne. Lightburne Hall is the most impressive and intact Greek Revival residence in Liberty. The two story, symmetrically arranged, white-painted brick residence has a low pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves above a classical cornice band. The original entry (south elevation) has a two story pedimented portico supported by large square double columns at both end. Entry doors on both stories are double leaf with transoms and sidelights, and are set within tabernacle frames. The nearly square plan house has five ranked elevations. There is another entry door with broken pediment on the west elevation.
The house was built as the city residence for one of the more prominent persons of the time. The original property extended from Mississippi St on the south to Doniphan Street on the north. Lightburne St on the East. The west boundery encompassed all of the lots on the west side of N. Water but not quite west to Main St. At the time it was built. It was the largest Greek Revival home west of the Mississippi. The Sigma Nu Fraternity at William Jewell College occupied this home from 1899 to 1906 and again from 1921 to 1970. The original entrance faces south.
Alvan Lightburne was born December 13, 1803 in Scott County, Kentucky. He attended regular schools as well as some private schools and seminary for a period of time. When he was 17 years old he was appointed deputy Circuit Clerk while still in Kentucky. His father died when he was 17. He remained in Kentucky for 14 more years until the remainder of his siblings grew up. During this time he farmed and also taught school. For a year, 1831, he worked as clerk on a steamboat which traveled between Louisville, Kentucky and St. Louis, Missouri. In 1832 he was elected Constable of Scott County, Kentucky. In 1834 he moved to Cynthiana, Kentucky and entered a business partnership with Manlius Thompson in the production of rope, twine and bagging. He later struck out on his own back in Scott County operating a rope manufacturing company. In 1836 he moved west and settled in Liberty, Missouri where he operated a hemp factory which made rope. He operated this company for 22 years. He retired in 1859 and focused his energy on his farming. Most of his farm land lay southeast of the town of Liberty.
During the Mormon War he was the Major of Missouri Volunteers under Colonel Alexander Doniphan. He served as Mayor of the city of Liberty from 1854 to 1855. He was very instrumental in securing Liberty as sight for William Jewell College. He also was very active in the Liberty Lodge of Freemasons both locally and at the state level. Education pursuits always was an interest and he helped found the Female Seminary in 1837 and for a time it was located on his property.
Lightburne married Miss Ellen J. Sutton. He and his wife did not have children of their own but raised several orphans. He was a member of the Christian Church. According to a map of Liberty and Clay County in 1877, Alvan Lightburne owned 830 acres southeast of Liberty in the area across from Stocksdale Park south to around 210 Highway. He passed away 19 Apr 1890, Liberty, MO, Not long after his land was subdivided and homes built.
Extension 51 - 302 and 316 North Water Street
At 302 N Water, you find the Dougherty-Alexander House. This house was built in 1881 by O.Fallon Dougherty in an American Foursquare style. Maj. John Dougherty, the father of O.Fallon came west from Kentucky, participated in the second Lewis and Clark expedition to Colorado and finally settled at Ft Leavenworth, KS. O.Fallon's older brother, Lewis B. Dougherty is believed to be the first white child born in Kansas territory. In 1830 the Dougherty's moved back to St. Louis, Missouri where O.Fallon was born June 5, 1832. Moving back to Ft Leavenworth Major Dougherty was the Indian Agent. After a year, in 1837, they moved to the Liberty, Missouri area. They settled on a plantation 6 miles northwest of Liberty. (near I-435 and NE 96th St). Maj. Dougherty purchased many of the lots on the west side of N. Water Street, which was then outside of the city limits.
O'Fallon Dougherty inherited the plantation from his father, a nice sized place of 1,162 acres. In 1865 he married Sarah Nutter also of Clay County. She was educated at the Liberty Female Seminary. He attended William Jewell College. In the spring of 1881 O.Fallon and family moved to Liberty in order to educate his daughters. They had two daughters, Katie and Mary. Here he built the home on N Water St. They were members of Second Baptist Church. He was also a member of the Liberty Masonic Lodge and the York Rite of Freemasonry. The lovely home on N. Water Street was originally a brick edifice.
During a trip to California, Mrs. Dougherty fell in love with the stucco styled homes and buildings there. When she came back to Liberty she had the home stuccoed and painted pink. It got its name .Rose Hill. shortly after. This two story stucco house has design features reflective of the Victorian era, but with later alterations such as the Craftsman style porch. The truncated hip roof has a very widely projecting boxed eave with wide cornice band beneath. There is a gable dormer with boxed cornice extended from the cornice of the main roof; it has a triangular attic window. The wrap around front porch has massive square limestone columns. There is a bay window on the south side, and some windows have art glass top lights. A contributing one car stucco garage to the rear has a hip roof.
At 316 N Water is a sprawling structure, the Church Apartments. The building was built in 1890 by O'Fallon Dougherty. It offered an early and novel form of cooling, a refrigeration system in the basement that pumped cool water through the copper pipes to the several apartments. This one-and-a-half story Craftsman bungalow has a bellcast front gable roof with square carved eave decorations. There is shed roof dormer on the side elevation. The wall cladding is stone on the first story, and wood shingle with decorative half timbers on the gable end. The porch columns and three chimneys are heavily rusticated limestone. The extended front porch also has slender wood columns sitting on the limestone balustrade. This House was home for many years to Mary Dougherty Alexander and her husband Harry. Mary's parents lived next door.
Extension 52 - 319 N Water, The Allen - Matthews House
The house at 319 N Water is known as the Matthews house. This two story brick house was built in 1895 by Mrs. Trigg Allen. The house has the steeply pitched multiple roofs typical of the Queen Anne style--intersecting cross gables on hip. The roofs have overhanging boxed eaves and end returns. The attic walls on the gable ends are wood clapboard. The wrap around front porch has a shallow hip roof with square brick columns. There is a contributing two-car stucco garage with gable roof to the rear.
Dr Matthews was born in Troy, Illinois on June 29, 1866. After moving to Missouri as a young man, he pursued several business interests and also was instrumental in installing the first public telephone service in Liberty. Dr. Matthews attended the University Medical College in Kansas City, Missouri, graduating in 1900. Besides being a member of the State & American Medical Association he was President of the State Board of Health from 1914 to 1917. During World War I, he served his country when in July of 1917 he was appointed by President Wilson as a member of the Western Missouri District Draft Board. He was discharged from service in March of 1919. Dr Matthews was also one of the organizers of the Citizens Bank (formerly located on the southeast corner of Water St and Kansas St where the Court House plaza is. In 1892 he married Mary Allen. They had two children, Mrs. Harry Moberly and Francis Matthews, Jr. In 1900 Dr. Francis Matthews and his wife Mary Ann, purchased the house from Mary Ann's mother. The Allen family, one of the oldest in Liberty, operated Allen's Landing on the Missouri River 4 miles south of Liberty from the early 1820's to 1844. Dr. Matthew's had his medical practice on the south side of the Liberty Square in the Allen-Matthew's Building (now housing Brant's). Dr Matthews was a member of the Freemasons, Odd Fellows and served as the physician at the Odd Fellows home south of Liberty. He also was the local surgeon for the Rock Island Railroad.
Extension 53 - 300 Block of North Water Street
There are several houses of note on the 300 block of North Water Street. At 325 N Water is the Simmons House, built in 1898. It was built by Dr. Joe Simmons who operated the drugstore on the west side of the Square, now housing the Clay County Museum. This one-and-a-half story Queen Anne residence with asbestos siding has steeply pitched cross gable roofs, a wrap around front porch with gable entry portico and a hip roof supported by classically inspired columns set on wood paneled plinths. The Simmons family lived in the house for 47 years. According to family records, Dr. Simmons built the house for less then $4,000
At 333 N Water is an interesting Victorian shingle-style cottage in turn-of-the-century style. This Victorian era cottage is a rare Liberty example of the Shingle style. It has a very steeply pitched pyramidal roof over the front porch and front portion of the house, set on a hip roof rear portion, a conical roof is set on the southwest corner, where the front porch curves and wraps around to the side. The porch has classically inspired square posts and a tooth-shaped cornice, which continues around the entire roof. The surface is highly textured with the square cut wood shingles.
What used to be the St James Catholic Church at 342 N Water St is now the Steeple Inn & Spa. It dates back to 1913. Prior to that it was the location of a Catholic convent academy. This brick Gothic Revival church has a one story nave with parapet gable ends. The exterior of the nave walls are supported by buttresses capped with stone. Each bay is fenestrated by Gothic arched windows with stone keystones. A transept terminates in gablets with closed stone verges. The main elevation has a three story, sixty foot bell tower with couple piers at each corner, rising to a multi-spired pinnacle. Fenestration on the tower has large, stone Gothic arched windows with wooden tracery at the third level. The main entry has a stone Gothic arch. The building currently houses the Steeple Inn and Spa, a bed and breakfast with six rooms, each equipped with a Jacuzzi.
Extension 54 - 214 E Mississippi, The Manheim Goldman House
At 214 East Mississippi you will find the Manheim Goldman House. This house was built in 1859 by Owen Sherin. It is a one-and-a-half story Gothic Revival house with a side gable roof punctuated by three gable wall dormers. All the gable roofs are very steeply pitched and feature decorative finials. The paired windows on the historic portion of the house are Gothic arched. The three quarter length porch has a flat roof with simple wood columns.
Owen Sherin, an Irish immigrant, bought the property for $400 in 1858 and sold it to Thomas McCarty for $1,500 in 1864. The older, front part of the house was built around 1859 in a traditional I-House formation, with the distinctive Gothic characteristics of lancet and arched windows and steeply pitched gables. The small structure west of the main house served as a summer kitchen, and possibly also as servant quarters. Manheim Goldman purchased the house in 1887. One of the first Jewish residents of the Kansas City metropolitan area, he was a leading citizen who served as mayor of Liberty (1895-1896) and also ran a business on the town square at the southeast corner of Main St and Kansas St. Mr. Goldman was also instrumental in securing Liberty as the location for the I.O.O.F (Odd Fellows) Retirement Home and Farm.
Extension 55 - 316 E Franklin Street, the Estes-Arthur Mansion
The large red brick Italianate style building at 316 E Franklin is on the south edge of the Lightburne Historic District. One of its owners called this house "The Mansion". It was built in 1859 by Marion Estes and was purchased the next year by Michael Arthur, a financier and slave-dealer. It is one of the most misunderstood houses in Liberty. A series of prominent Liberty pioneers owned this tract of land which originally encompassed Leonard St. on the west, Lightburne St. on the east, Franklin St. on the south to the alley on the north. The second owner of this property was Cyrus Curtis who was an early trapper and trader in Clay County. His home was probably the first to be built in Liberty back before Liberty was founded. It was located just west of William Jewell College where College Place West is now. He also built and ran a hotel/general store where the Brown Building is located (northeast corner of Water and Franklin)
After the death of Mr. Curtis, the land was sold to Owen Sherrin, an Irish immigrant who built the home known as the Mannheim Goldman house on Mississippi St. Later, this property was acquired by Francis Estes. It was Estes that built this house. Originally it was built in I-House formation which is two rooms on each floor, with a staircase between and one room deep. Over time this house has had several additions and expansions. In 1860 the house was sold to Edward M. Samuel, a unionist and banker who helped found the modern banking system for the State of Missouri. Previously, in 1855, E. M. Samuel helped found the town of Hamilton, Missouri serving as the President of the Town Company.
Due to the pressures of the Civil War, Samuel was among those who fled to Mirabel in Caldwell County which was a Union settlement. In 1863, Samuel and a group of radical allies purchased the assets of the Liberty Branch of the Farmer's Bank and reopened in the same building as the Clay County Savings Association. In 1864 the house and lots were sold to Michael Arthur who moved from his plantation, Glen Arbor, into Liberty. In early 1865 Edward Samuel, driven away by rebel death threats, moved to St Louis, Missouri where he began a new life as a commission merchant. He committed suicide in 1869.
Michael Arthur was born May 19, 1800 in Fayette County, Kentucky and moved to Clay County in 1825 from Barren County, Kentucky. He settled 3 miles southwest of Liberty on his Glen Arbor Plantation. That house is long gone. Glen Arbor was located on S. Hughes Rd near Withers Rd. Michael Arthur operated the first hemp factory in Clay County, helped open the first insurance agency with Alexander Doniphan and was instrumental in building the first railroad between Hannibal and St. Joseph, Missouri. Arthur was a very wealthy businessman and real estate developer in Liberty. He operated a general store on the corner of Water and Kansas in conjunction with Madison Miller. The Commerce Bank Building now occupies this location. The famous Arthur House Hotel was another of his investments. This hotel was located where the fountains are in front of the City Hall. Arthur Street as well as Arthur's First and Second Additions are further testaments to this well known Liberty resident. Michael died in 1884. His son John owned the home after much controversy and having to take the other heirs to court. The Arthur family owned this property until 1902 when Arthur's son John sold it to F. Ray Berry.
Previous local legends say that this was a slave auction site as well as a field hospital for the wounded from the Battle of Blue Mills, south of Liberty and that there was an outside staircase used for the only access to the second floor to hold slaves on. All of these legends are highly unlikely as the house was only 4 rooms large until being purchased by Michael Arthur. During the Civil War the home was owned by a Unionist who more than likely did not own slaves. And the slave sales were done on the northeast corner of the courthouse lot.
Extension 56 - 210 E Franklin - Frank Hughes Building/Clay County Archives
At 210 E Franklin is the Frank Hughes Memorial Library building, which currently houses the Clay County Archives Museum and Library. Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992, this one story brick Classical Revival style building has a gable roof with wide elaborate cornice line. The rear portion has a combination hip and flat roof. A prominent feature on the front is the full-height, central bay portico, with two engaged square pilasters and four square paneled columns. The front portion has a boxed cornice with little overhang. For many years after its construction in 1940 it served as Liberty's Public Library, thanks to a bequest from Liberty citizen Frank Hughes.
One block west is what used to be The Colonial Hotel at the corner of Franklin and Missouri Streets. It is now an apartment building, but at one time it housed many important Liberty visitors and gala social events.
Extension 57 - 116 N Missouri, Edward W. Toler House
At 116 N Missouri you find the house of Edward W. Toler. This house was built in 1886 with a Folk Victorian (Gabled Ell) style. The house has a most unusual history. The Farmer's Bank, now known as the Jesse James Bank Museum, owned the entire lot going back to the alley from Water Street to Missouri Street. In 1883 the east three lots facing Missouri Street were sold to Alice (Wymore) Toler, wife of Edward Toler, a local grocer. When the Toler's built this house it faced Franklin Street and was on the lot closest to Franklin Street.
Edward Toler was a member of Second Baptist Church and was head of the committee to build the new building in 1883. In 1912 when a new hotel in Liberty was planned, this site was chosen. The stipulation of building the new hotel was that the house be preserved and relocated. John J. Stogdale purchased the house and relocated it to the third lot north of Franklin where it sits today. He improved the house by adding a basement and installing all the modern conveniences such as furnace heat and running water.
 
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