Do you remember this block of Gillham and 33rd Street?

raleigh-arms

Raleigh Arms Apartments, 1940.

When the Raleigh Arms apartments at 3346-50 Gillham first opened in 1909, the owners described the building as modern; in fact, they called it “up to the second.”

In a 1909 advertisement in the Kansas City Star, they touted the address in the fashionable Hyde Park district, close to Westport High School and the Hyde Park school.

Raleigh Arms consists of 18 apartments of 5 rooms each. All finished in mission oak and white enamel with best electric and gas fixtures, including electric dome in the dining room; fireproof safe for valuables; locked outside rooms for ice boxes; large china closets in kitchen; laundry with stationary tubs; stoves and patent hot air dryers; private lockers in basement; awnings, screens, etc. $40.

current map 2 copyThe building, recently renovated by MAC Properties, is part of the block we’re focusing on this week, just east of Costco and Home Depot. When the block of East 33rd, Gillham and Gillham Plaza developed around the turn of the century, it included single family homes, neighborhood-level businesses and the luxury apartment building.

11-31-2In a set of photos from 1940 (see slideshow below), Gillham Road in 1940 housed several local businesses including the Nu Charm Beauty Shop, Carl’s Market and a barber shop. On 33rd Street, the Adelphi Garage still looks much as it did 75 years ago. That street also had an “electric shoe repair shop” in 1940.

Uncovering History Project, the Midtown KC Post is taking a look at the 1940 tax assessment photos of each block in Midtown. This week we’re focusing on the block from 33rd to Gillham and Gillham Plaza. (Many people seem confused by the tax assessment photos, which all include a man holding a sign. Here’s the story behind them).

 Do you remember this block? What special memories do you have of this section of Crestwood? What questions do you have about it? Let us know and we’ll share your history and help to preserve it on our website as part of our Uncovering History project.

Would you like us to focus on your block next week? Send us an email.

 Our new book, Kansas City’s Historic Midtown Neighborhoods, is available now. Let us know if you want us to come to your neighborhood association or organization’s meeting to share what we’ve learned about Midtown neighborhood history and tell your members how they can help preserve Midtown history. Order the book  

A 1909-1950 fire insurance map shows the buildings on the block.

A 1909-1950 fire insurance map shows the buildings on the block.

5 Comments

  1. Nancy Maxwell says:

    I lived at Georgian Court in 1960, then in an apartment at 221 E. 34th St. until 1964. Walked to 39th & Main and 34th & Troost to shop and to Armour & Broadway to work. Fazzino’s was on the corner of 34th & Gillham, first a meat market(?), then a bar. There was a restaurant in Georgian Court and a drugstore in the hotel on the opposite corner of Armour & Gillham. Many memories of those first days in Kansas City.

  2. N. Maxwell says:

    I lived at Georgian Court, then 221 E 34th St. from 1960-1964. Fazzino’s was on the corner of 34th & Gillham, first a meat market(?), then a bar. There was a restaurant in Georgian Court and a drugstore in the basement of an apartment building on the opposite corner. I walked to work at Armour & Broadway and walked to shopping at 33rd & Troost and 34th & Main. Lots of good memories of first moving to Kansas City.

  3. Sar says:

    These are great stories! Do you remember how much your rent was? Did you work nearby?

  4. N. Maxwell says:

    Not sure. It was a long time ago. Thinking it was $80 a month. I worked at KCLife, still a beautiful building.

  5. Leon says:

    I live on the quaint house marked 11-31-8. I was grew up in an old house full of antiques in the Andes of Peru and the moment I had barely been shown this apt by the landlady I exclaimed, “I’ll take it!” I love the view from the huge windows on the third floor and the natural light from every side of the studio and even more when its Spring and Summer. If financial luck ever strikes my life path, I’d like to own this house. =)

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