A Block Dominated by Churches in Old Westport

A recent historical survey of Westport suggested that the Our Lady of Good Counsel Church on this block of the Valentine neighborhood might be a candidate for the historic register. The church and the rest of the block help tell the story of how churches followed their congregations as residential development moved from downtown to the south in the early 1900s.

A recent aerial view of today’s featured block, dominated by two churches along Washington Street near 40th.

The block, between Pennsylvania and Washington from W. 39th Terrace to W. 40th Street, began as a residential block on the north edge of frontier Westport but later became home to two churches that served the thriving Midtown community as it developed in the early 1900s.

As part of our Uncovering History Project, the Midtown KC Post is examining each block in Midtown. A set of 1940 tax assessment photos is available for many blocks.

Today, the block bounded by Washington and Pennsylvania from W. 39^th Terrace to W. 40^th Street.

Early Westport Residents Built Homes

In the 1850s, Westport was at its peak as a frontier outpost. Thousands of immigrants came to town to get outfitted for their trips west. Businesses, including hotels, saloons, and wagon shops, lined Westport Road from Broadway to Mill Street and along Pennsylvania from 40th to 42nd. At the northern edge of Westport, several of Westport’s wealthy residents built their homes. An early map of the areas shows only one home on the block (highlighted in yellow). It may have belonged to Joab Bernard, a Southern Methodist minister who was one of the oldest residents of Westport.

Somewhat later, probably during the building boom at the turn of the 20^th century, four homes were built at the corner of Pennsylvania and 40^th Street, where a line of condos stands today.

Churches Fill in a Strategically Located Block

While Westport businesses prospered just to the south, the residents of Westport also began thinking about their spiritual needs. They may have been attracted to this block because of its proximity to the Westport business area and the fact that its land was mostly vacant.

Methodists bought a parcel at the corner of 40^th and Washington and built a two-story frame building in 1853. Before the Allen School was built in 1868, classes for local children were also held in the basement of the church.

A funeral in 1930 brought a large crowd to Our Lady of Good Counsel Church.

The Catholics also saw promise for a presence in Westport. Father Bernard Donnelly personally bought the one-story Joab Bernard home in 1866, and services were held there. A few years later, Catholics began to think about building a church and collected money for construction from wealthy Kansas City residents and men working on the construction of the Fort Scott Railroad. They even laid a foundation on the site, but when the priest was called away, planning stopped.

It wasn’t until the very end of the 1800s when growth that had slowed during the Civil War began again. The “suburbs” of Midtown began to fill in earnest, and as new residents moved south, they wanted their churches nearby. Many religious institutions relocated to new churches in Midtown in the early 1900s, often building new houses of worship to serve the burgeoning population.

For Methodists, as the congregation grew, the original building was demolished, and a new church called Warfield Chapel took its place in 1896.

A new Our Lady of Good Counsel church was dedicated by the Catholics in 1907, and the former church was converted to a parish school run by the Sisters of Loretto. A home for the parish priest was built between the two churches at 3934 Washington. In 1912, Our Lady of Good Counsel built a school building at 517 Schaefer, which served local children until it closed in 1968.

This 1909-1950 Sanborn map shows the two churches and priests’ house on Washington, the school on W. 39th Terrace, and the cluster of houses at the corner of 40th and Pennsylvania.

Historic photos courtesy Kansas City Public Library/Missouri Valley Special Collections.