Council Grove Downtown Survey, Survey Report

Spencer Preservation

From introduction and survey methodology: "The Council Grove PRIDE Committee received a Historic Preservation Fund grant from the Kansas State Historical Society in 2008 to assist with the completion of an inventory of the community’s historic resources. Following a competitive bid process, the Council Grove PRIDE Committee contracted with Brenda Spencer to conduct a survey of approximately 80 properties in downtown Council Grove. The project was conducted in October-November, 2008. This report documents the survey methodology, summarizes the results of historic survey, and provides recommendations regarding potential listing of local resources on the state or national registers of historic places. A list of properties surveyed and a map of the survey area is provided at the end of the report. Spencer was hired in September, 2008 and a public meeting was held later that month to kick off the project. The primary goal was to inform local business and property owners of the project and provide an overview of KSHS programs and incentives. The survey project involved local site investigation and research. Site work was conducted October 1-2, 2008. At that time Spencer documented each building in the survey area. The Morris County Appraiser’s Office provided aerial photos of the survey area. These “maps” were used for site work and the individual building site plans. The Council Grove PRIDE Committee administered the project and coordinated efforts among local groups including the Council Grove Historical Society and City and County offices. The PRIDE Committee had set the preliminary boundaries for the survey area in the grant application process. The boundaries spanned Main Street from Belfry on the west to 6th Street on the east, generally comprised of the properties facing Main. Additionally, the boundary extended north to incorporate historic properties on Columbia between Mission and Neosho, and south between Wood and Neosho to include the high school. Following the public meeting, the boundaries were extended from Belfry to Chautauqua on the west to include the First Congregational Church and historic homes on the north side of the 400 block of W. Main. Council Grove’s core downtown area is centered on West Main Street, west of the Neosho River. Main Street is U.S. Highway 56 through town. There are some historic commercial and residential structures along East Main but the historic structures are intermingled with expansive contemporary development and are not geographically connected to the core district on West Main (separated by the river and Highway 177). Spencer first completed the site work on West Main. Resources in the survey area west of the river totaled 86. Through consultation with the PRIDE Committee, it was agreed that Spencer would limit the survey east of the river to existing historic resources rather than the entire geographic area." Project funding was provided in part by a 2008 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Council Grove PRIDE Committee (project number KS-08-005) administered by the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office (grant number 20-08-21721) administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Council Grove Downtown Survey, Survey Report

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