West Hills Subdivision: Historic Resources Survey

Destefano, Jamie; JLD Preservation Consulting, LLC; City of Topeka

This report summarizes the results of an intensive architectural survey of properties in a residential subdivision known as West Hills. The neighborhood sits east of the Governor’s Residence and north of Interstate 70 in Topeka, KS. The survey report covers methodology, results of the field survey, and provides recommendations to the community including possible nomination of a downtown National Register historic district. The report also provides maps of surveyed properties and a bibliography. Inventory records are available at www.kshs.org/khri. From the Introduction: "Initiated by the City of Topeka and the Kansas Historical Society (“KHS”), this historic resource survey is part of an effort to identify and survey all properties within the historic West Hills Subdivision, a planned, mid-20th century subdivision located on the southern banks of the Kansas River, just northwest of downtown Topeka. This project strives to document the establishment and subsequent development of the neighborhood within the greater context of Topeka’s patterns of development during the mid-20th century. This project further aims to survey every residential property within the neighborhood and evaluate the subdivision for National Register of Historic Places eligibility as a historic district. In 2020, the City of Topeka contracted JLD Preservation Consulting to conduct the intensive-level survey of the entirety of the West Hills Subdivision. West Hills is a planned, middle-class neighborhood characterized by its curvilinear streets, gently rolling topography, and impressive collection of mid-20th century ranch houses. The West Hills Subdivision is located approximately 3 ½ miles northwest of the heart of downtown Topeka (Figures 1 and 2). It encompasses a total of 161 residential properties occupying the West Hills Subdivision No. 1 and No. 2, laid out in 1956. The following year, an additional five lots fronting SW Fairlawn Road were added to Phase 2. Figure 3 is a parcel map showing the boundaries of the respective phases of development of West Hills. JLD Preservation Consulting recorded all resources, regardless of age. The highest percentage of residences built within the neighborhood occur between 1955 and 1969, with a handful erected through the mid-1970s. The earliest residence dates to 1906 and associated with Fairfield Farms, a dairy farm once occupying the land upon which West Hills was later developed. Five houses were built between 1983 and 2012. The neighborhood contains a unique collection of sprawling, middle-class ranch houses, adopting a variety of forms distinctive of the otherwise ubiquitous house type. While several houses within the neighborhood lack a distinct architectural style, the majority convey stylistic influences from a range of styles attributed to post-World War II residential design. Among the styles occurring in West Hills include Contemporary, Rustic/Western Ranch, Colonial Revival, and Postmodern. Houses within West Hills are remarkably well-preserved, retaining a high degree of their historic design and materials. Landscaping throughout the neighborhood, including mature shade trees, create a cohesive, picturesque aesthetic further enhanced by the curvilinear street layout - a popular design feature of planned suburban developments following World War II. Appendix A includes a spreadsheet of all residences within the West Hills Subdivision. The spreadsheet includes the assigned KHS inventory number, address, date of construction, residential type, or form, sub-type (if applicable), architectural style, degree of integrity, and recommended contributing status in the event that West Hills is nominated to the National Register of Historic Places. A thumbnail photograph of each resource is also included on the inventory for convenience purposes." Table of Contents: Acknowledgements List of Figures and Charts List of Photographs Section 1: Introduction and Methodology Section 2: Historic Context Section 3: Survey Findings Section 4: Recommendations Bibliography Appendix A: Survey Inventory Appendix B: Survey Map Project funding was provided in part by a Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Kansas State Historical Society, administered by the State, Tribal, Local Plans and Grants division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior (grant number P20AF00021).

West Hills Subdivision: Historic Resources Survey

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