Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District
The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. Portions of the content on this web page were adapted from a copy of the original nomination document. [‡]
The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District is located within the city limits of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. The district is roughly along W. Franklin and W. Kansas streets from Fairview on the east Prairie and Gallatin streets on the west, as well as south to Shrader between Moss and S. Terrace avenues. There are 139 contributing buildings and 19 non-contributing buildings contained within its boundaries. Of the 139 contributing buildings, 23 are garages; two are other outbuildings, including a former summer kitchen; and the remainder are residences. Of the 19 non-contributing buildings, seven are residences, eleven are garages, and one is a shed. The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District is a good example of the Residential District property type, as defined in the amendment to the Multiple Property Submission, "Historic Resources of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri" (hereafter, "Liberty MPS"). The district contains a variety of housing styles, types, and sizes. Included are pre-Civil War Greek Revival Residences, Queen Anne style buildings, Prairie and Craftsman 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 Dougherty-Prospect Heights district contains some of the community's best examples of the popular styles from the early twentieth century, such as the Craftsman bungalow. The lot sizes in Prospect Heights and the west end of W. Kansas Street are comparatively small, but other lots are much larger. Most of the houses have uniform setback. Even though the houses represent a wide span of construction dates, the uniform setback combined with the other physical features of the district help unify the setting. All of the streets are the typical rectangular grid laid over the rolling topography, with the exception of Harrison Street. 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, and it fulfills the registration requirements for the Residential District property type.
The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District contains 139 buildings which retain a sufficient degree of integrity to meet the requirements for the Residential District property type. Buildings within the district are associated with three of the contexts presented in the Liberty MPS: Establishing a City: Liberty from 1817-1860. Stability vs. Growth: Residential Growth and the Real Estate "Boom." 1867-1896, and The "Bon ton" Suburban Community: Liberty from 1896-1946. Contained within the boundaries of the proposed National Register district are two locally designated historic districts: the Dougherty Historic District, which is located between Fairview and Gallatin streets along W. Kansas and W. Franklin; and the Prospect Heights Historic District, which is located south of W. Kansas between Fairview and Dorsey. The boundaries of the proposed National Register district closely approximates the combined boundaries of these two areas. These two local districts contain houses which are well maintained and retain a very high degree of integrity overall. The locally designated Dougherty Historic District area contains a number of large two story buildings, many of which predate the Civil War period. The houses in the Prospect Heights Historic District are generally more modest, and most are from the turn of the century.
The streets are mainly the result of the grid system laid out upon the hilly topography, which generally rises towards the west to the former Liberty High School. W. Kansas is one way to the east, and W. Franklin is one way to the west; a few other streets in the area are one way as well. Harrison/W. Liberty Drive was formerly a major artery leading southwest out of town towards Kansas City (hence its historic name "Kansas City Road"), and tends to divide the Prospect Heights district psychologically. Many of the streets have sidewalks on both sides, and historic light fixtures are retained through a good portion of the district. The streets are lined with mature deciduous shade trees, which help to unify the visual character of the district.
Lot sizes are relatively equal throughout the district, particularly in width. Those on the north side of W. Franklin and the south side of W. Kansas tend to be a little wider and much longer, though. Generally, the setback for the houses will be the same for one side of a block, so that houses are aligned with their neighbors. The topography is level nearer the square, but becomes more uneven towards the west and south. Some of the residences with raised yards have historic limestone retaining walls. The street trees often prevent a clear view of adjoining buildings when standing on a sidewalk. A sight line from the middle of the street at the west end of W. Kansas or W. Franklin, however, affords a clear view across the Courthouse Square towards William Jewell and the Jewell/Lightburne historic district.
There are a variety of materials used on the residences — from stucco to brick to stone, wood clapboard to asbestos siding. The siding changes do not detract from the contributing status of the buildings, however, as nearly all buildings retain a high degree of original features and floor plans. The styles and forms vary greatly as well. The district is most noted for the greatest number of "comfortable" or "popular" style early twentieth century homes, such as the foursquares and bungalows influenced by the Prairie and Craftsman styles.
A full listing of the contributing buildings in the Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District follows, giving the address, building type, estimated date of construction, and contributing status. A brief description of each contributing building follows the listing, which includes the style or building form, and the contributing status of any outbuildings.
116 West Franklin, house. (1924) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow has an extended gable roof to cover the full-length front porch. Exposed roof rafters and decorative knee brackets can be seen on the overhanging eaves of the main roof and the gable-front dormer.
202 West Franklin, house. (1910) Contributing. This Shirtwaist version of a Prairie foursquare features differing wall treatments on each level, with brick cladding on the first, narrow clapboards on the second, and wood shingles on the dormers. The front porch runs the full length and has a gable roof, square brick columns, and brick rails. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and gable roof.
205 West Franklin, house, (c. 1895) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing residence has a shed-roof porch on the front and rear elevations, as well as a shed roof dormer. There is a one story contributing outbuilding with vertical wood board siding and gable roof.
210 West Franklin, house. (1911) Contributing. This brick veneer, Prairie foursquare home has a full-length front porch. A glassed-in porch on the right side of the first floor, which creates an asymmetrical appearance, although the main portion of the residence is arranged symmetrically. The typical Prairie style windows feature multi-light sashes over a single pane. There is a one car contributing garage with brick veneer siding and hip roof.
211 West Franklin, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. Distinctive features of this Queen Anne style home include the irregularly shaped roof, wrap-around front porch, bay window, and asymmetrical facade. Second floor tripartite windows with Palladian motif, gable front returns, and round porch columns are free-classical details. The clapboard siding has been covered with vinyl siding.
221 West Franklin, house. (1911) Contributing. This Prairie foursquare residence features overhanging eaves on the hipped roof porch, dormer, bays and main roof. The windows are of varying shapes.
222 West Franklin, house. (1911-1913) Contributing. Multi-colored brick detailing distinguishes this Prairie style home from others in the area. The full front porch has square brick columns and rails with shone caps extending to the left from the patio. A side entry porch on the first story has an enclosed second story porch above. The residence also features a clay tile roof and wide, overhanging eaves. Windows vary in size. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and bellcast gable roof; additional storage on the west is reached through a door.
227 West Franklin, house. (1910) Contributing. This Prairie foursquare is a simple structure with a low pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves. The front porch has massive square columns, with porch rails extending to the left from a patio. The walls are covered in stucco.
232 West Franklin, house. (1952) Non-contributing. A one story brick Colonial Revival house with side gable roof. A contributing historic two story rear building is a combination garage with living quarters above. It has shiplap siding.
Raymond, Richard L. House, 233 West Franklin. (1909) Contributing. This Prairie style home with low-pitched hip roof with overhanging eaves and an altered asymmetrical porch, retains many identifying features. Varied wall treatments include brick, stucco, and clapboard. Contrasting wood trim delineates between the stories and emphasizes the horizontal lines of the residence. There is a two car non-contributing garage with gable roof and asbestos siding.
241 West Franklin, house, (c. 1911) Contributing. This Craftsman bungaloid features a cross gable roof with unenclosed eave overhangs and triangular knee braces. Windows vary in size. The walls have been covered with aluminum siding. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
Dimmitt-Ringo-Dougherty House, 242 West Franklin, (c. 1850, 1867, 1871) Contributing. This Italianate style residence features tall, narrow windows which are arched above. A more modern style porch has been removed to expose an elaborate front door surround with square transom and sidelights, engaged columns and entablature with dentil motif. The brick walls have been painted. A one story brick summer kitchen is contributing, and has a gable roof and two fireplaces. It has been covered with stucco.
245 West Franklin, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne cottage features a hipped roof with cross gables and shed roof additions. A small front porch wraps around a portion of the left side.
315 West Franklin, house. (1951) Non-contributing.. A one story gable-front house with asbestos shingle siding.
317 West Franklin, house. (1906) Contributing. This gable-front residence has flared eaves and boxed cornice returns. A full-length, one story porch features a hipped roof with square wood columns. The walls have been covered with aluminum siding.
322 West Franklin, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This Craftsman bungaloid contains features from various styles, creating an eclectic, free-form structure. Wall coverings are brick and stucco, which varies throughout the structure. Cornice returns and bay windows are distinctive features.
325 West Franklin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This simple gable-front-&-wing residence features boxed cornice returns and a porch which wraps around the left side. The walls have been covered with aluminum siding.
331 West Franklin, house. (1906) Contributing. This Dutch Colonial Revival style residence features a steeply pitched cross gambrel roof. An inset, full- front porch has square columns and round rails and frieze spindles. There is a one car non-contributing garage of concrete block.
339 West Franklin, house, (c. 1908) Contributing. This foursquare residence features colonial revival details, including a curved pedimented porch with round, classical columns set on brick piers.
343 West Franklin, duplex. (1924) Contributing. This apartment features Craftsman details, including overhanging porch eaves and massive square brick columns on the full-length, two-story porch. The roof is flat with an embattled and pedimented parapet.
347 West Franklin, duplex. (1924) Contributing. This apartment features Craftsman details, including overhanging porch eaves and massive square brick columns on the full-length, two-story porch. The roof is flat with an embattled and pedimented parapet.
402 West Franklin, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This high-style Queen Anne residence has boxed returns with patterned shingles, bay windows, and spindlework. A one-story wrap-around porch features elaborate Eastlake detailing, including an arched porch entry with corner sunbursts, spindlework frieze, columns and rails, and lace-like brackets. There is a one car contributing garage with asbestos siding and gable roof.
405 West Franklin, house. (1907) Contributing. This Prairie foursquare features a hipped roof, with wide overhanging eaves and a full-length one-story front porch with square columns. A hipped-roof front dormer and the walls are covered with clapboard siding.
408 West Franklin, house, (c. 1895) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing residence features a massive wrap-around porch which has been altered to include Craftsman style columns. The residence also features several bay windows and an enclosed second story sleeping porch. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and hip roof.
409 West Franklin, house and garage. (1953) Non-contributing. A one story Cape Cod subtype of the Colonial Revival style. The one car, noncontributing garage has a gable roof and wood siding.
415 West Franklin, house. (1931) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style residence features a decorative chimney, decorative half-timbering, and clapboard, stucco and brick surfaces. Later additions have been covered with paneling.
416 West Franklin, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This brick foursquare residence includes some colonial revival details on the full-length front porch. Simple round classical columns support a hip roof. The central, hip roof dormer is clapboarded.
428 West Franklin, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This Colonial Revival style residence features a front end gable with boxed cornice returns and a wrap around porch with simple, classical columns.
429 West Franklin, house. (1926) Contributing. This side-gabled roof, Colonial Revival style structure is a simple two-story rectangular block. The front facade is symmetrically balanced with a center front door featuring pedimented portico with dentils and square paneled support columns. The clapboard siding has been covered with asbestos shingles. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
432 West Franklin, house. (Unknown) Non-contributing. A much altered one and one-and-a-half story house with asbestos shingle siding.
442 West Franklin, house. (1891) Contributing. This bungaloid residence features a Craftsman style stone porch foundation and piers and a highly irregular roofline. A front end gable has boxed cornice returns.
444 West Franklin, house. (1926) Contributing. This Colonial Revival style residence is a two story rectangular block with a side-gabled roof. Symmetrically balanced facade has an accentuated front door with a portico supported by fluted columns. A one-story, screened porch has square paneled columns on the first story with balcony rails on the second story.
500 West Franklin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow retains nearly all of its original features, including wide, overhanging eaves with exposed rafters and triangular knee braces. The cross-gable entry porch features square columns resting on massive brick piers. While the gable ends feature board and batten wall treatment, the rest of the house has very narrow clapboards. There is a two car contributing garage with vertical wood siding and gable roof.
501 West Franklin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This bungalow has a hipped-roof, one-story front porch with slender square porch columns and square rails. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and gable roof.
505 West Franklin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow features an integrated front porch with paired square columns on shingled piers. There is a one car contributing garage with wood shingle siding and gable roof.
508 West Franklin, house. (1908) Contributing. This Prairie style house features a full-width, one-story porch with hipped-roof, square brick columns and replacement iron railings. A center front dormer has a hipped roof. Walls are covered with clapboard.
511 West Franklin, house. (1908) Contributing. This foursquare residence features a flat-roof, full width, one-story porch with simple round columns and square porch rails. A bellcast, hipped-roof dormer is centered in the front. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and clipped gable roof.
516 West Franklin, house. (1908) Contributing. This Craftsman style residence with Prairie elements features varied wall treatment, including brick, wood shingles, false half-timbers, and stucco. A massive one-story front porch has massive square columns and an arched entry. There is a non-contributing garage with concrete block and vertical wood siding.
Presbyterian Manse, 519 West Franklin. (1908) Contributing. This foursquare residence features a flared hipped roof with wide, overhanging eaves. A bellcast hipped roof dormer is centered in the front. The walls are covered with asbestos shingles. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and clipped gable roof.
526 West Franklin, house, (c. 1906) Contributing. This bungalow features a front porch with massive stone corner porch supports and square wooden interior supports. The front gable has paired windows with a half-circle window above.
528 West Franklin, house, (c. 1908) Contributing. This eclectic, Craftsman style residence features square brick porch piers, contrasting stone caps on the porch rails, and contrasting wood-panel porch frieze, and widely overhanging roof eaves. Other elements include a large center front gable with narrow clapboards, three dormer windows, and a large wrap-around porch. The wall treatments include clapboard and shingle, although the predominant treatment is brick, which has been painted.
108 Gallatin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This one-story, late Queen Anne cottage has sparse detailing but displays the complex hipped roof typical of the type. Its primary elevation is distinguished by a projecting bay which houses three windows and imparts an L-shape to the primary elevation. A small shed porch comprises the remainder of the elevation.
116 Gallatin, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This two-story stucco Prairie-influenced foursquare lacks significant detail, except for the full-width, hipped roof porch supported by square brick columns with a brick balustrade. A non-contributing garage sits to the rear of the house.
124 Gallatin, house, (c. 1870) Contributing. This large, two and one-half story, painted brick, side gable house apparently has a side-passage plan. A two-story ell extends to the rear, and a two-story, hipped roof addition, clad in wide asbestos siding, extends to the north. The full front porch is a later addition, with large, square brick columns and a heavy frieze. A non-contributing garage/shed sits to the rear of the house.
306 Harrison, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. Now serving as apartments, this cross gable residence with some Prairie/Craftsman details such as wide, overhanging roof eaves and typical Prairie window glazing patterns.
324 Harrison, house. (1906) Contributing. This foursquare residence has asbestos siding and a hip roof with a lower rear hip roof extension. A screened porch is located on the right, and an enclosed porch is on the left. The front entry features decorative iron porch supports.
340 Harrison, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow features an inset, wrap-around front porch with simple, classical columns on stone piers and square porch rails. The hip roof with lower cross hips includes a gable front dormer with a small balcony.
Mosby House, 343 Harrison. (1913) Contributing. This large, Prairie style home is highly detailed and includes multiple hipped roofs covered in clay tile. Varied wall treatments include paneled wood and brick, featuring some decorative masonry patterns. The partial width front porch has massive square brick columns with simple stone capitals. Varying in size, the windows have stone lintels, and some feature brick pilasters and stone brackets. There is a two car contributing garage with clapboard siding and hip roof with dormers.
204 West Kansas, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow has a centered gable dormer with a full front porch, both featuring gable returns. The porch features low stone piers, with three square porch supports at both corners. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and gable roof.
207 West Kansas, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This one-and-a-half Craftsman bungaloid has clapboard siding and a front gable with flared end returns. The extended gable porch has round columns. There are two large cross gable dormers; all dormers have curved gable end returns as well.
215 West Kansas, house, (c. 1924) Contributing. This Dutch Colonial Revival residence features a side gambrel roof with a continuous shed roof dormer across the front. The front facade is symmetrical with first floor windows in adjacent pairs and 6/1 double hung sash windows. Asbestos shingles cover the original siding.
Garth House, 218 West Kansas, (c. 1857) Contributing. This brick I-house features Queen Anne details, including a two story front entry porch with a first floor wrap-around turned spindle front porch. The gable ends and the pedimented portico feature square shingles arranged in a diamond pattern. There is a two car non-contributing garage with vinyl siding and gable roof.
221 West Kansas, house. (1924-'25) Contributing. This bungaloid features a brick pier porch, which has been enclosed. Other features include a front gable dormer and box bay on the right side.
227 West Kansas, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne residence features a steeply hipped roof with lower cross gable roof. Modest free-classic decorative detailing includes gable-end shingles, flat sawn porch brackets, and casement attic windows with turned pilasters. A single-story full front porch has simple square columns, which may be replacements.
Raymond House, 232 West Kansas, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence has original Eastlake details as well as some free-classic details. A one-story porch wraps across the front and sides in an irregular manner. Asbestos shingle siding covers the original clapboards.
233 West Kansas, house. (1908) Contributing. This Prairie style house features contrasting wall treatments on each floor, with brick on the first and clapboard above, divided by contrasting wood trim. Hipped roof dormers feature half-circle hoods and paired casement windows with diamond lights. A wrap around front porch has brick supports and features two entries into the residence. There is a two car contributing garage with shiplap siding, barn-type doors, and gable roof.
240 West Kansas, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne style cottage has a wrap-around right-front porch and another on the opposite side. The porches feature turned spindle porch supports, with jigsawn porch frieze. The roof line is irregular, with boxed, bracketed eaves. Asbestos siding covers the original clapboard.
247 West Kansas, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This one-and-a-half story residence was formerly a Victorian era home, but its upper story was damaged by fire; it has had its present appearance for many decades. The first floor windows are tall narrow with Italianate round arched openings. It now has a side gabled roof with curved end returns, and a Craftsman style three quarter width porch with massive tapering columns. There are two shed roof dormers. There is a one car contributing garage with board & batten siding and gable roof.
249 West Kansas, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing residence features a one-story shed-porch within the ell formed by the two cross wings. Aluminum siding covers the original clapboard. There is a two car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
Gray House, 253 West Kansas. (1907) Contributing. This Prairie foursquare features a low-pitched roof with widely overhanging eaves, a single story front porch, and a horizontal row of dormer windows. The porch has square paneled columns on brick bases. There is a two car, one-and-a-half story contributing garage with shiplap siding and gambrel roof.
Pence House, 302 West Kansas, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence features masonry walls, with some wood details. White stone lintels and sills around the windows contrast with the brick. Gable ends are decorated with wood shingles. A large, wrap-around porch features a projecting bay on the right corner.
Dougherty House; 305 West Kansas, (c. 1850) Contributing. This Greek Revival style residence, though somewhat altered, features a symmetrical 5-bay facade. The original brick walls have been stuccoed, while the dormers have clapboard siding.
311 West Kansas, house. (1912) Contributing. This bungaloid features a full-length front porch with corner brick columns and square, wooden entry columns on brick piers. The roof line includes shed roof dormers, a steep pitched front gable and low pitched front porch gable extension. Double hung sash windows have their original storms. A box bay window is located on the left side.
312 West Kansas, house, (c. 1885) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing features Victorian details, including a flared gable end with boxed cornice returns. The front, projecting square bay has a bellcast hipped roof with a wide band of trim below.
316 West Kansas, house. (1925-'26) Contributing. This bungalow has a full front, hipped-roof porch with square brick columns. The roof overhang has enclosed rafters and open eaves. The walls have been covered with aluminum siding. There is an altered one car non-contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding, hip roof, and large addition with shed roof.
320 West Kansas, house. (1924) Contributing. This bungalow's roof extends over the full front porch, which has square columns, stuccoed porch rails, and a segmental arch. The roof has wide overhanging eaves with two triangular knee braces. The walls are stucco.
321 West Kansas, house. (1906) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing residence features two gable roof wall dormers on the left and a shed roof dormer on the front with three small casement windows. The walls have been covered with asbestos shingles.
324 West Kansas, house. (1924) Contributing. This bungalow's roof extends over the full front porch, which has square columns, stuccoed porch rails, and a segmental arch. The roof has wide over hanging eaves with two triangular knee braces. The walls are stucco. There is a two car contributing garage, shared with the adjacent property, with shiplap siding and gable roof.
328 West Kansas, house, (c. 1885) Contributing. This Folk Victorian style residence features a front gable end with boxed, cornice returns as well as three different types of wood shingles in the wide bands. The front porch has a half-triangular pediment over the entry with turned porch supports, a spindlework frieze, and jigsawn brackets. There is a two car non-contributing garage with asbestos shingle siding and gable roof.
331 West Kansas, house. (1910) Contributing. This bungaloid features an inset left front porch with square tapered porch column. The side gabled roof has wide, unenclosed eave overhangs and a front shed-roof dormer with exposed rafter tails and paired windows.
334 West Kansas, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence features varied and irregular rooflines, nearly all steeply pitched and an irregular floor plan. Tall narrow windows are located on the front cross-hipped portion of the house.
342 West Kansas, house. (1907) Contributing. This bungalow has a hipped-roof porch with stone rails extending the full length of the front. Tapered square wooden porch columns are set on stone piers. The roof features wide overhanging eaves. There is a one car non-contributing garage with asbestos shingle siding and gable roof.
400 West Kansas, house, (c. 1880) Contributing. This Italianate two story home features tall narrow windows which are paired or single with entablature surrounds. The overhanging eaves of this truncated hip-roof has a boxed cornice, plain frieze band, and paired brackets.
401 West Kansas, house. (1912) Contributing. This Cape Cod variant of the Colonial Revival style has a steep pitched roof with two oversized dormers on the front and a symmetrical facade. The roof is half-gable, half gambrel.
408 West Kansas, house. (1927) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style residence features a steeply pitched roof with multiple gables and windows with multi-pane glazing. The massive chimney is placed in a prominent location on the front elevation. There is a two car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
411 West Kansas, house. (1929) Contributing. This gable-front residence with clapboard siding and a high limestone foundation features a hipped roof portico with iron porch supports.
"La France", 419 West Kansas. (1912-'13) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow features a variety of wall treatments, including wood shingles on the first floor, stucco in the gable ends, and false timbering in both areas. The front porch is inset under the front gable.
420 West Kansas, house. (1936) Contributing. This Colonial Revival style residence features a brick entry with decorate, scattered rough cut stones and a lower, projecting gable. A screened porch on the right has a split lower gable roof.
425 West Kansas, house. (1922) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow has been altered through raising the dormer roof, giving a top-heavy appearance. The majority of the house has been covered in stucco. The house has wide, overhanging eaves with triangular knee braces under the eaves.
426 West Kansas, house. (1912) Contributing. This Prairie style residence features a low-pitched hipped roof with widely overhanging eaves and a full two story porch with square clapboarded columns and a porch door on the second floor. The clapboards on the second floor are narrower than the first. There is a two car contributing garage with clapboard siding and hip roof.
503 West Kansas, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This small, simple bungalow features a full front porch enclosed under the main roofline with a hipped roof dormer. The porch has square columns and clapboarded rails. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
504 West Kansas, house. (1912) Contributing. This eclectic foursquare residence features a front gable with boxed cornice returns and a lower cross gable with curved returns. A full-length front porch has massive stone columns and rails which extend on the right to form a patio. There is a contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding and side gable roof.
509 West Kansas, house. (1912) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style structure features stucco wall cladding, with brick on the lower portion, which acts as corner quoins. Decorative false timbering and the multiple gables are additional Tudor features.
517 West Kansas, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This gable-front eclectic home features a full front porch, part of which has been enclosed. The paired, slender porch columns which rest on brick piers, features curved front gable returns, and leaded glass windows are typical of the free-classic Queen Anne style; while the widely overhanging eaves are more typically Craftsman in style.
518 West Kansas, house. (1924) Contributing. This Colonial Revival style residence has a symmetrically balanced facade with double hung sash windows, an accentuated front door with pedimented portico, and an entry door with arched fanlight and sidelights.
523 West Kansas, house. (1910) Contributing. This Craftsman style home, features a wrap-around front porch with corner stone columns and paired square columns on stone piers on the interior. The main gable roof is interrupted by several gables which are shingled on the gable end. A two-story bay extends through to the shed-roofed dormer on the right.
504 West Liberty Drive/504 Harrison, house, (c. 1915) Contributing. This large Craftsman style residence features wide, overhanging eaves with exposed decorative rafters and decorative false beams. The full front porch features a shed roofed with a gable over the porch entry and thick, short tapering wood columns on massive brick piers. The windows feature rectangular pane pattern on the top sash over a single pane. The roof features both shed-and gable-roof dormers on the front, and lower, extended cross gables on the right and rear, creating a highly varied roofline pattern.
14 Morse, house, (c. 1885) Contributing. This Queen Anne cross-hipped residence features an elaborate gable-roofed bay. Overhanging eaves feature paired corner brackets.
102 Morse, house, (c. 1900) Non-contributing. Alterations to the two story former architect-designed clapboard house have changed its original appearance. The massive Craftsman porch has been replaced with a Victorian-inspired porch with corner gazebo. There is a one car contributing garage set within the raised lot with narrow clapboard siding and gable roof.
108 Morse, house. (1910) Contributing. This Prairie style residence has a two-story hipped roof with dominant wings and porch. The facade is asymmetrical with a horizontal row of windows on the first floor. The wrap-around front porch has massive stone columns and rails. There is a one car non-contributing garage of concrete block construction and gable roof.
113-119 Morse, apartments. (1953) Non-contributing. Two story apartments with hip roof having brick veneer on the first floor and clapboard on the second.
118 Morse, house. (1928) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style residence features a steeply pitched, hipped roof with a prominent cross gable and lower projecting entry gable. Wall treatments include decorative half-timbering, stucco, and brick. There is a large two car contributing garage with stucco and decorative half-timbering treatment and cross gable roof.
127 Morse, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow is side-gabled, and features a full length front porch. The roof has open eaves, with a gable front dormer with exposed rafters and brackets.
131 Morse , house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence features a steeply pitched roof with several cross gables. A wrap around front porch has free-classic columns and simple square rails. A right, front bay and leaded glass are additional Queen Anne features. The original walls have been covered with vinyl siding.
139 Morse, house, (c. 1880) Contributing. This Gothic Revival cottage features a steeply pitched roof with centered cross gable. The full-length front porch features Queen Anne style turned porch columns and spindlework.
14 Moss, house. (1911) Contributing. This bungalow has wide overhanging eaves, without the typically exposed rafters or eave brackets. An extended gable front porch has been screened. A box bay is located on the left.
15 Moss, house. (1938) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style residence features a side-gabled roof with the facade dominated by a prominent, steep cross gable and massive chimney. Wall coverings are stone veneer and clapboard, with the chimney made of stone and brick. Two gable dormers are located in the front. There is a one car non-contributing garage with vinyl siding and gable roof.
25 Moss, house. (1925) Contributing. This brick Classical Revival style residence features a symmetrical front, with center door with a multi-pane rectangular side and transom lights. The entry portico is supported by round columns with Ionic capitals.
Norton, William House, 36 Moss. (1912) Contributing. This large Prairie style residence features a wrap-around front porch with wide overhanging eaves and massive brick columns. Two shed dormers are located in front.
Goodson House, 37 Moss. (1911) Contributing. This Prairie style residence has a wrap-around front porch with paired, square wood columns. A two-story hexagonal bay is located on the right. The windows vary, with the attic and shed roof dormer windows grouped in threes.
100 Moss, house. (1926) Contributing. This Tudor Revival style home features multiple, steeply pitched gables and roof lines. The wall treatments include brick veneer and multi-colored slate. The off-set front door has an arched wood pediment.
Davidson, Ralph house, 103 Moss. (1916) Contributing. This Prairie style residence is a full-length, hip roof front porch with massive stone columns and rails, which extend to the right to form a patio. Hipped roof dormers are located on the front and left, featuring paired windows with multi-pane sashes over a single pane and paneled window surrounds.
106 Moss, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence features free classic details. A left cross cable on the main pyramidal roof, a lower porch pyramidal roof and a right bay pyramidal roof are typical Queen Anne elements. The porch wraps around and includes simple, round porch columns and curved returns on the left gable end.
111 Moss, house. (1950) Non-contributing. A one story brick ranch house.
14 North Prairie, house, (c. 1900) Contributing. The gable-front-&-wing residence features an inset front porch between the intersection of the two wings. The hip-roof porch has simple, round classical columns. Tall, narrow windows are paired on the first floor, with single windows on the second. The wall treatment is stucco.
10 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This gable-front clapboard bungalow has wide overhanging eaves with exposed rafters. A shed roof front porch has simple square porch columns.
20 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This Prairie foursquare features a wide, overhanging hip roof and dormers which have overhanging eaves. The full length, hip roof front porch has round classical columns. The wall treatment is clapboard.
21 S. Terrace, house. (1925) Contributing. This front-gabled Craftsman bungalow features wide, overhanging unenclosed eaves with exposed rafters. The front porch is inset and has square wood columns and simple square porch rails.
25 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1913) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow is side-gabled and features an inset porch under the roof on the right. The porch columns are square tapers with simple square railings. A low, shed roof dormer is located in the front with a group of three small casement windows.
28 S. Terrace, house. (1937) Non-contributing. An altered one-and-a-half story house with Tudor Revival elements such as stucco with false half-timbering.
100 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1906) Contributing. This foursquare features a one-story hip-roof porch with classical round porch columns. A front, hip roof dormer includes four narrow windows.
119 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1919) Contributing. This eclectic gable-front residence features a full-length, hipped roof front porch with tapering square columns and wide, overhanging eaves. The front gable has curved returns. A shed-roof dormer is located on the right.
120 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1890) Contributing. This Queen Anne style residence features an irregular roofline, including a two-story bay. The full-length, front hipped-roof porch has Prairie style massive, square stone columns and wide, overhanging eaves. The wall treatments are varied, with narrow vinyl siding on the first floor, and stucco above.
124 S. Terrace, house. (1924) Contributing. This Colonial Revival style residence features a modified gambrel roof with three gable front dormers. Dentils decorate the cornice line. The porch has Craftsman styling in its massive square stone columns.
127 S. Terrace, house. (1914) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow features exposed rafters and false, decorative beams with cut out ends. The front porch has a lower front gable roof with vertical batten strips as decorations in the gable end. Short, square porch columns are supported by brick piers. Windows vary in size and treatment. Clapboard siding has been covered with asbestos siding. There is a one car contributing garage with narrow clapboard siding, hip roof, and attached carport.
129 S. Terrace, house. (1914) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow has highly decorative, wide overhanging eaves. The front porch has a lower front gable roof with vertical batten strips as decorations in the gable end. Short, square porch columns are supported by brick piers. Windows vary in size and treatment. There is a one car contributing garage with shiplap siding and gable roof.
130 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1895) Contributing. This Queen Anne cottage features a hip roof with cross gables. The front porch has tapered square wooden columns, though one is missing. There are two fireplaces, each with a decorative brick band. To the rear of the house, a small shed with vertical wood siding and gable roof is counted as non-contributing.
134 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1913) Contributing. This Craftsman residence features a hip roof with the typical wide, overhanging, exposed eaves. The porch has a lower hip roof with simple square columns and frieze. Windows vary in size and treatment. A shed roof dormer is located on the left side, while a small hip-roof dormer is at the front.
138 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This bungaloid features a mixture of styles. The front gable end has curved returns and decorative shingles. The porch entry features a pedimented portico with simple square columns.
142 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1914) Contributing. This Craftsman bungalow has a wrap-around front porch with square wood columns set on stone piers. The roof has a front and two side hip-roof dormers. A one-story frame garage with gambrel roof is counted as contributing.
146 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1910) Contributing A pyramidal roof cottage with late Queen Anne features, including lower, intersecting gable roof projecting on the facade over a three window bay. The house retains its original clapboard siding and a side porch with spindlework columns and brackets. The house is little altered and a good representative example of its type. A rear addition dates to 1927. A contributing one-story frame garage is to the rear of the house.
152 S. Terrace, house, (c. 1910) Contributing. This gable-front-&-wing residence has a full length, hip-roof porch. The rails and supports have been replaced. The front gable features decorative wood shingles.
The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District ... represents several aspects of the development patterns of residential neighborhoods in Liberty. Located west of the square, the neighborhood has retained its association over the years not only with the commercial center of Liberty, but with the various educational institutions located at Fairview & W. Franklin as well. The campus of the former Liberty High School (previously the Liberty Ladies College) has served as a barrier to further growth to the west. As the two east/west streets serving to form the Courthouse Square in the center of town, W. Franklin and W. Kansas streets in particular have been a desired and prominent location for residences in Liberty. With the slow growth the city has experienced, the housing styles/types located on these streets represent a wide time span, a typical feature of Liberty's Residential District property type. The Prospect Heights area of this district, generally south of W. Kansas along Moss and S. Terraces avenues, represents a smaller time frame of construction, generally in the decades just before and after the turn of the century. Buildings associated with three contexts, as defined in the amendment to the Multiple Property Submission, "Historic Resources of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri" (hereafter, "Liberty MPS"), are within the Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District: Establishing a City: Liberty from 1817-1860. Stability vs. Growth: Residential Growth and the Real Estate "Boom." 1867-1896, and The "Bon ton" Suburban Community: Liberty from 1896-1946. With this wide variety of housing types constructed over a span of years, the district is also significant in the area of architecture with residences that represent the changing tastes, fashions, and construction methods in American architecture. The district includes several good examples of the large fashionable homes of the well-to-do, as well as the more modest National Folk type residences of the working class. In particular, it contains some of Liberty's best examples of "pattern book" houses from the early twentieth century. The period of significance extends from the construction of the oldest houses within the district, 1850, through 1946, the arbitrary fifty-year cut-off date.
Residential development in Liberty was originally centered around the courthouse square, and occasionally scattered on the main roads leading in and out of town. Most of the earliest residences were constructed in the areas west, north, and east of the courthouse square. With 139 contributing buildings, the Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District is the second largest proposed National Register historic district in Liberty and naturally contains buildings which represent nearly every period of architectural development found in Liberty. Some of the oldest residences in Liberty are located on the two major east/west arteries bounding the square, Kansas and Franklin streets. The Dimmitt-Ringo-Dougherty House at 242 W. Franklin was built c. 1850 for St. Clair Dimmitt, and was enlarged over the years by subsequent residents, which included Richard Ringo, one of Liberty's early settlers, and Capt. Dougherty, a pioneer banker in the city. It later served as the residence of the President of William Jewell College. The Garth-Robinson house (c. 1857) was home for William Garth, a prominent Livestock dealer and state representative.
Since W. Franklin and W. Kansas streets were east/west arteries which bounded the north and south sides of the square, they remained desirable residential locations over the years. In fact, many of the extant historic houses have replaced earlier historic residences, particularly on those lots just west of the square. The prominent hill at the west end of W. Franklin served as both a physical and visual terminus to the district for many years. As with the hills containing the campus of William Jewell College to the east and the Garrison School to the north of the courthouse square, this hill was the site of a prominent educational building from 1890, then the Liberty Ladies College, through the present day with the public Junior High School situated in the former High School building.
During the period defined by the context Stability vs. Growth: Residential Growth and the Real Estate "Boom." 1867-1896, there was a flurry of development activity in Liberty in addition and subdivisions platting. In the neighborhoods west of the square, Corbin & Hughes (1890), Dougherty Place (1890), and Prospect Heights (1889) were laid out. Construction continued in the district during the early part of the historic context The "Bon ton" Suburban Community: Liberty from 1896-1946. Although some houses were constructed on scattered lots throughout the district, in general, the residential development spread somewhat concentrically from the Courthouse square. For example, even though the Prospect Heights subdivision was platted in 1889, most of the houses within its boundaries date from the early twentieth century. Generally, the lots at the west end of the district, closer to the former Liberty Ladies College, were the last to be developed.
With 139 contributing buildings, the Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District has residences which represent nearly every period of architectural development found in Liberty. In addition to large antebellum residences noted, more modest homes are evident throughout the district as well. Many of the early twentieth century residences are typical of standardized "plan book" homes, where the contractor or home owner took inspiration (or in many instances, ordered the plans directly) from the lumberyard, magazines, or architectural catalogues. A few residences in the Dougherty-Prospect Heights district spring from more humble roots, and represent the post-railroad building trends discussed in Virginia & Lee McAlester's A Field Guide to American Houses.[1]
The earliest extant houses in the district are examples of the Greek Revival style or the simple I-house form. During the boom of the 1880s, the majority of houses constructed were of the Queen Anne style, although a few Italianate houses can be found in the Dougherty-Prospect Heights district. The Queen Anne style was at its height nationwide during Liberty's boom period, while the Italianate was on the wane, the houses extant from this period reflect the popular styles of the time.
The predominate housing types constructed in the Dougherty-Prospect Heights district immediately after the turn of the century were foursquares and bungalows, which typically had Prairie and Craftsman style features. An excellent example of a Craftsman bungalow can be seen at 500 W. Franklin, with a duplicate version at 129 S. Terrace. A few decades later, the Colonial Revival and Tudor Revival styles were more predominant, but these buildings were not constructed in great numbers. A review of the 1924 Sanborn map reveals why: the majority of lots in the Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District contained buildings by this date with some exceptions at the western ends. The district had essentially acquired the character it retains today — that of a small town residential area which has experienced slow but steady growth of the years, revealing a variety of building types, styles, and construction dates.
Although the Dougherty-Prospect Heights district was not close as other neighborhoods to the William Jewell campus, the city in general suffered from a lack of residential rental and boarding facilities. As noted in a 1930s city planning report prepared by Hare & Hare, city planners and landscape architects, there were inadequate dormitory facilities at the college, and many of the out-of-town students were housed in private homes, boarding houses and fraternity and sorority houses.[2] While the majority of these non-resident students lived in the areas immediately west and southwest of the college, the general need for rental housing units in Liberty spurred the construction of the paired duplex apartment units at 343 and 347 W. Franklin. These duplex units featured a colonnaded facade having separate porches for the units on each floor.
The Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District, due to its long period of residential construction, is thus associated with many of the contextual periods defined in the amendment to the Liberty MPS. With buildings from nearly every period of construction in the city's history, it not only serves as a physical reminder of the slow, steady growth of the community influenced by various physical and economic factors, but serves as an architectural textbook of Liberty housing styles as well.
- Virginia & Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984), pp. 88-101.
- Hare & Hare, City Planners, "A City plan for Liberty, Missouri," Report of the City Planning Commission, 1930-1934.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
City Plat Maps, Liberty, Missouri, City Hall (microfilm copies).
Edwards Brothers. An Illustrated Historical Atlas of Clay County, Missouri. Philadelphia: Edwards Brothers, 1877.
Hare & Hare, City Planners. "A City Plan for Liberty, Missouri." Report of the City Planning Commission, 1930-1934.
History of Clay and Platte Counties, Missouri. St. Louis: National Historical Company, 1885.
Jackson, Don M. The Heritage of Liberty: A Commemorative History of Liberty, Missouri. Liberty: R.C. Printing Service, 1975.
McAlester, Virginia & Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984.
Missouri Office of Historic Preservation Architectural/Historic Inventory Survey Forms. Liberty City Hall.
Sanborn Map for Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. New York: Sanborn Map company, 1882, 1889,1894, 1899, 1906, 1913, & 1924.
Withers, Ethel Massie, ed. Clay County Missouri Centennial Souvenir: 1822-1922. Liberty, MO: Liberty Tribune. 1922.
Wolfenbarger, Deon. "Historic Resources of Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form and amendment.
Wolfenbarger, Deon. "Historic Resources Survey: Phase III." June 1987.
Wolfenbarger, Deon. "Liberty Survey Summary Report." September 1987.
Woodson, W. W. History of Clay County, Missouri. Topeka: Historical Publishing, Company, 1920.
‡ Deon Wolfenbarger (Three Gables Restoration), Carolyn Funk (City of Liberty) and Steven E. Mitchell (Missouri Department of Natural Resources), Dougherty-Prospect Heights Historic District, Clay County MO, nomination document, 2000, National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, DC.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Franklin Street West • Gallatin Street North • Harrison Avenue • Kansas Avenue West • Morse Avenue • Moss Avenue • Prairie Street North • Terrace Avenue South • West Liberty
