Spring Hill Ranch House - Strong City, Kansas
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 26.056 W 096° 33.464
14S E 713168 N 4256824
Historic Second Empire styled house built as the headquarters and home for the owner of the large 10,000+ acre ranch also known as the Jones Ranch House is located northwest of Strong City, Kansas.
Waymark Code: WMBD1J
Location: Kansas, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2011
Views: 7
"The ranch house was built in 1881 for Stephen Jones on a bluff overlooking the Fox Creek valley. This striking limestone building is set within the bluff, and presents three stories on the front (east) elevation and two stories to the rear. It is a unique example of the Second Empire style with its symmetrical facade featuring a projecting central pavilion and diagonally-placed projecting pavilions at both ends. The ends of all the pavilions are accented with square-cut quoins that are brush hammered. The remaining wall surface is quarry-faced coursed ashlar except for the keystones above the segmentally arched window and door openings, which are also brush hammered...
There are three floors of living space in the ranch house, with an additional service floor located between the first and second floor. A central hall with stairs is on the three main floors. On the first floor it is flanked by two parlors. The north parlor served as a sitting room, and the south as a music room. Both rooms feature limestone fireplaces with faux marble finish, and bay alcoves reached by an arched opening. The second floor contains the dining room and butler's pantry in the northwest wing, and a living room and former office in the main portion of the house. The butler's pantry today has a modern kitchen. The office and dining room formerly had doors leading to the outside, but today lead into the enclosed back porch. There are three rooms on the third floor believed to have served as bedrooms and a smaller room which is presently a bathroom. The service floor, located mid-way between the first and second floor, is accessed by both the main staircase and a rear staircase adjacent to the butler's pantry. The original kitchen was located here, and cooks were able to easily access both the root cellar and springhouse from the kitchen.
Immediately west of the original kitchen is the root cellar, approximately eighty percent of which is below grade. The interior walls and barrel vault roof are constructed of quarry-faced coursed limestone. The floor is presently covered with concrete, as is the exterior above grade roof. Two skylights have metal grates with circular colored glass panes. Leading north from the original kitchen to the below-grade springhouse is a twenty-seven foot long tunnel. Partly below grade, this tunnel was also constructed of limestone and has a barrel vault roof. The interior walls of the tunnel have been stuccoed but the original limestone construction is evident on the exterior.
The walls in the living space of the ranch house are plaster, and eight rooms and three halls in the house feature varied molded plaster cornices. Several of the main rooms have plaster ceiling medallions as well. The elaborate stairway newel post and stair balustrade are walnut; the remaining woodwork in the house is grained pine, with burled panels in the window surrounds and doors. The floors on the third story are the original wide pine; narrower oak floor boards have been laid on the original floors on the first and second stories.
The ranch house was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, and was one of the earliest listings in the state. The house underwent a certified rehabilitation in 1984-1985. Only a few minor alterations have been made to the house since its construction in 1881. As noted, the rear porch has been enclosed; the butler's pantry has been changed to a modern kitchen; and the historic kitchen has been divided into a utility room and bathroom. On the exterior, the house is only missing its original iron cresting on the upper curb of the mansard roof. Thus the building is virtually intact on both the exterior and interior, and exhibits an extremely high degree of integrity in all areas of consideration." - from National Historic Landmark District Nomination
The house is now part of the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve and is used as the winter visitors center and has a gift shop. Tours are available.
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