Blood, Col. James, House - Lawrence, Kansas - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The Col. James Blood House in Lawrence, built about 1870 is a good example of the emerging Victorian influence on Kansas architecture. It is a two-story residence supported by a sturdy limestone and mortar foundation. All exterior walls and several interior walls are solid red clay brick laid up 12 inches thick. The major windows on the first floor measure 32 inches by 108 inches and have what are thought to be the original glass and shutters. The simple rectangular window openings of the second floor are covered by classical lintels. The front portion of the first floor, which is a living room, is covered on three sides by a highly ornate porch complete with paired columns on common pedestals. It is believed the porch was part of the original design. The roof is of two types. The major part of the house has a hip roof with a slight slope on which sheet tin is used for the roofing material. The rear part, which houses the kitchen, has a gable roof of cedar shingles. The eaves overhang approximately two feet, and there are paired brackets every five feet. The exterior is believed to be basically unchanged from the time of Colonel Blood's residence.

Col. James Blood, who was the first to occupy the house at 1015 Tennessee in Lawrence, Kansas, came to Kansas Territory in 1854 as an agent for Amos A. Lawrence, treasurer of the New England Emigrant Aid Co. Lawrence wanted Blood, along with Charles Branscomb, to explore eastern Kansas and select a suitable place for Free State parties sponsored by the company to settle. The two men chose a site, went to Kansas City to meet the arriving emigrants, and guided them to the present location of Lawrence on August 1, 1854.

Col. Blood made his home in Lawrence, living for a time in the house on Tennessee St., which was built about 1870. (Apparently the names of the architect and the builder were not recorded; Blood was listed in the 1876 Lawrence City Directory as a bricklayer, so he may have done some of the work himself.) The 1879 Lawrence City Directory shows Blood was still a resident there at that time, but in the 1880's the house was purchased by J. B. Shearer.

Colonel Blood, a businessman and lawyer, was elected the city's first mayor on July 13, 1857. He served as a delegate to the Wyandotte Constitutional Convention in 1859 and was selected as a member of the board of trustees of "The Lawrence University" in 1859. The school's name was changed to "The Lawrence University of Kansas" in 1861, and Blood was a member of this board of trustees as well. The school eventually became the University of Kansas. Blood was Douglas county treasurer from 1864 to 1868 and was elected to the state legislature in 1869. He also served as a commander in the Free-State Cavalry during early Kansas territorial conflicts. Colonel Blood died in Lawrence on February 4, 1891.

The Blood House is one of the oldest houses remaining in Lawrence. It is an excellent, well-preserved example of early Victorian influence on Kansas architecture.