Do you remember the blocks of Cherry and Kenwood bounded by Armour and 34th?

On Kenwood between 34th and Armour Boulevard, these three single-family homes were the frequent sites of bridge parties, sewing clubs and other get-togethers in the decades immediately before these photos were taken in 1940. When the 10-room residence at 3428 Kenwood was advertised in 1928, it offered four bedrooms and a bath on the second floor and two rooms on the third floor, as well as an “excellent location for renting rooms to school teachers” at the adjacent Longan school.

A 1909-1950 Sanborn map of the block.

This block of Midtown, from Armour to 34th between Cherry and Kenwood, is perhaps best known as the home of the Longan School (now Academie Lafayette) and the Trinity United Methodist Church.  But the block was not completely dominated by these institutions. It also offered three homes along Kenwood and four on Cherry, as well as a luxury apartment house on Armour.

As part of our Uncovering History Project, the Midtown KC Post is taking a look at each block in Midtown, including a set of 1940 tax assessment photos which is available for many blocks. (Many people seem confused by the tax assessment photos, which all include a man holding a sign. Here’s the story behind them).  

Trinity United Methodist Church, seen here in this 1940 photo, purchased its site at the northwest corner of Armour and Kenwood in 1919.

The Armour Park Apartments, now renovated, offered luxury apartment living to well-off families. In newspaper ads in the 1920s, the owners touted the five-to-eight-room large spaces with up to three bathrooms, ample garage space, and a break from the hassle of having to hire servants to staff a big house.

Four houses on Cherry Street, below,  filled out the block. Long-time residents included the  Holloway family, headed by a real estate salesman and Democratic committeeman Thomas Holloway.

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

 Do you have memories or more details about this area of Midtown? Please share them with our readers. Would you like us to focus on your block next week? Send us an email.

 Our 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. If you’d like to order the book, email Mary Jo Draper at mjdraper@midtownkcpost.com.