David Runnels-Architect "The Revere Homes"- Roe Circle in Prairie Village, KS

As I recall in 2007, Robert McLaughlin and I met with David Runnels daughter, Jill. We collected her remembrances in an oral history. She placed in our safekeeping numerous items including plans, drawings, etc. and also numerous photograhic slides. These pics are from about 1953 to 55(?), taken by Runnels of the homes built by Don Drummond. The design was published in House Beautiful, Life magazine and numerous design books and trade publications. There were 14 of these Revere Homes built by Drummond(featuring copper plumbing, guttering and flashings, insulation, etc. Don't forget your Mom's Revere Ware!) One was found to be built near Nall and in Lawrence by a different builder, we heard was from Topeka. There could be more of these gems scattered elsewhere...


The above shot is of Jerad (Studio/Build)and Jessica Foster's house when new. The houses were originally stained with the trim painted various colors as seen in these photos. To enlarge, click on image.


In the above photo is an interesting effect by Runnels, bringing the balcony screen down to the ground. Large windows bring in fresh air and cross breezes prior to air conditioning...Below: Rear photos from a then untamed Brush Creek.













Great neighborhood pictures, I love the cars, Desotos and Studebakers. Not many trees in the Skyscape of PV back then Don provided an ample landscaping allowance as seen here...interesting to see the houses to the north on Tomahawk (all painted white) and see the contrast to these "sports-car" houses. I'll get more of these on the site soon. To see more of David Runnels see the tabs to the right...

Kansas City Homes and Gardens September/October Issue-1991 Drummond Stroll

Speaking of magazines, I found this one in a pile of stuff I saved. It featured a neighborhood tour and get together we had in 1991...it was the first effort to tour and promote the houses of Ninety-Eighth Place. It couldn't have been better when in 2005 we had a KCModern Tour of the neighborhood (the houses never looked better) and hosted our special guest, Don Drummond. I talked to him the other day and he said to tell everyone hello...he'll be 95 this October and still seems spunky on the phone. I apologize for the quality, the pages have seen a few storms...Click to enlarge the pages.


1955 Brochure for 'The House that HOME Built'

KCMODERN friend, Scott Butterfield did some serious scan work of 'The House that HOME Built' brochure to let us share it with our readers. The promotional brochure was designed and printed by NBC for participating builders to use in their marketing of 'The House that HOME Built.' Kansas City Modern Builder, Don Drummond gave the brochure to Scott's parents in 1955, when they were thinking about having Don build them a house. Don Drummond signed the back cover for Scott at a soiree during the Drummond Weekend in 2006.

Also note the math notation on the last image from 1955 to Scott's parents, "1680 square feet x $15 per square foot = $25,200." That is not a bad price for a Jones and Emmons designed home that was also built by Joseph Eichler. That would be $200,000 to $275,00o in today's dollars depending on what conversion you use. I would hate to have to try to build it today for $275k!

As I have mentioned before Jones and Emmons Architects went on to design the X-100 and Case Study House #24 for Joe Eichler.

Enjoy 'The House that HOME Built' in all its Mid-Century Modern goodness!


















If you have not read it yet be sure to check out this article on 'The House that HOME Built.'

'The House that HOME Built'

In 1955 a popular TV show convinced builders across the country, including Kansas City’s own Don Drummond, to try their own Eichler homes
By Robert McLaughlin - originally written for the Eichler Network Newsletter

Arlene Francis displays a scale model of 'The House that HOME Built' on NBC-TV network show, 'HOME.' Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

In Northern California, Eichler homes became as much a part of the landscape as chaparral and live oak trees. Except for a handful in upstate New York, and about 750 Eichler look-alikes in Oregon, Eichler homes never made much impact on the country as a whole. But for a brief time in the mid-1950s, it looked like they might when builders like Kansas City’s, Don Drummond began building their own authorized version of the Eichler home.

In 1955, thanks to a popular NBC television show ‘HOME,’ a design that California architects, Jones & Emmons originally created for builder, Joseph Eichler began popping up in 20 or more cities throughout the United States. Jones and Emmons Architects went on to design the X-100 and Case Study House #24 for Joe Eichler. Each house was built by local merchant builders attracted to the program by the free publicity provided by the popular show, sort of a mid-‘50s HGTV.

One builder who enthusiastically got behind the program was Donald Drummond, the nearest thing Kansas City had to a Joe Eichler.

‘HOME,’ hosted by Arlene Francis and correspondent Hugh Downs, aired weekdays following NBC’s Today show. It had 2 million viewers, mostly women. ‘The House That HOME Built’ segment, which ran regularly, tried to persuade America that glass-walled, low-gabled, modern homes would work anywhere in the country, not just sunny California.
NBC 'HOME' Logo, 1955. Image from HTHB Brochure courtesy of Scott Butterfield.

The ‘House That HOME Built’ was co-sponsored by NBC and the National Association of Home Builders. Housing expertise was supplied by C.W. Smith, director of the Southwest Research Institute’s Housing Research Foundation.

“We recognize that regional preferences exist,” Smith told House and Home magazine in an April 1955 story, “but we want to show people that steep roofs, small windows and basements in the northeastern part of the country are due entirely to prejudice and habit and are entirely unnecessary technically as well as undesirable from a performance standpoint.”

Rendered image of the 'HTHB' from Pacific Architect and Builder Magazine, April 1955. Courtesy of the A. Quincy Jones Archive and Elaine Jones.

Each builder paid $200 for the plans and agreed to build one model to be open to the public. A June 4, 1955 deadline was set to coincide with ‘HOME’s national publicity.

The program was likely the brainchild of Eichler, who hoped the buzz generated by the show would promote his own houses. According to the April 1955 article in House and Home, Eichler and Smith persuaded Quincy Jones and Frederick Emmons to design the house. In truth, Eichler had been building early versions of the Jones and Emmons design since 1953.

The producers mandate to Jones and Emmons was to design a house appropriate for any climate that could be constructed by builders anywhere in the United States. The program’s goal was to show “that an attractive, up-to date house, embodying principles of good design, can be built at a moderate cost.”

Promotion began when a model of Jones and Emmons’ design appeared on the show, which was broadcast from New York, on Feb. 28, 1955.
On the of the NBC set presenting a model of 'The House that HOME Built' with R.J. Caravan of the National Association of Home Builders; Arlene Francis, star of 'HOME'; C.W. Smith housing authority on 'HOME' and director of the Housing Research Foundation of the Southwest Research Institute; and A. Quincy Jones, architect of 'The House that HOME Built'. Image from Pacific Architect and Builder Magazine, April 1955. Courtesy of the A. Quincy Jones Archive and Elaine Jones.

Jones realized that what worked for buyers in California might face resistance elsewhere. “We are going to be criticized that it is extreme, but it’s not,” he said. “Almost everything that’s in here we’ve been doing for 10 years.”

Eichler appeared on the show with Illinois builder Bruce Blietz two days later, and Drummond appeared March 25. Commercial television was less than a decade old, but both builders understood its power. “I figured I had about five minutes to sell a thousand houses,” Drummond recalled in a recent interview.
NBC 'HOME' Studio in New York City, 1955. Image from HTHB Brochure courtesy of Scott Butterfield.

‘The House that HOME Built’ was a typical Jones H-plan, with two terraces defined by exterior walls. Kansas City Drummond owners call them “side atriums.”

One terrace is adjacent to the public entrance. The other is a private outdoor living area. An open kitchen-living area forms the center of the house, connecting the two legs of the H. Bedrooms fill the rear leg, while a carport and “all-purpose room” fill the front leg, which faces the street. The bi-nuclear plan successfully separates living and sleeping areas.

The roots of the home can be found in some of Jones & Emmons earlier plans for Eichler, including the JE- 15, JE-35, JE-51 and the JE-85.
'The House that HOME Built' Plan Courtesy of the A. Quincy Jones Archive and Elaine Jones.


A JE-85 clone appears in House and Home magazine in July 1955, and seems to be the immediate predecessor to ‘The House That HOME Built,’ Ernie Braun’s photos for the article were dated April 1955, establishing it as finishing just as the NBC program was starting. Jones and Emmons had designed more than 200 plans for Eichler by 1955 and ‘The House That HOME Built’ seems to be the pinnacle of this particular plan type. Soon Eichler’s focus would shift to the atrium plan.

Joseph Eichler's JE-85 on the cover of the House+Home Magazine, July 1955.

Unlike earlier Eichlers the post and beam frame and fascia of ‘The House That HOME Built’ extended past the roof eaves to form a trellis-like overhead structure on the side terraces.
Image announcing 'The House that HOME Built' program from House+Home Magazine, April 1955.

Two things Jones thought unusual were the location of the laundry between bedrooms, and a built-in dining table with two built-in burners and an oven at the end. Jones had recently designed a similar prototype kitchen for Frigidaire. A table cooktop was also included in Jones’ own steel house and the X-100 prototype steel house that he did for Eichler a year later.
Rendering of 'The House that HOME Built' kitchen. Image from HTHB Brochure courtesy of Scott Butterfield.

The most notable refinement to the new plan was a sliding glass door between the kitchen and terrace. “This blew the whole center of the house open,” says Scott Lane, a Kansas City real estate broker and Drummond enthusiast. Other changes included the substitution of a carport for a garage and revised bathroom locations. Many builders went ahead and included a garage in this house that was already rather luxurious for the time.

Eichler and Drummond were masters of merchandising. It is no coincidence that the kitchen, baths and laundry were the focus of changes to the plan. This reflects the power women were gaining over such major decisions as buying a house.

Not relying solely on NBC’s ‘HOME’ to reach would-be buyers, Drummond had a local cooking show broadcast from the kitchen of his model home. The show promoted appliances that could be purchased with the home.

“There was a nice little profit to be made from the sale of these appliances with the house,” Drummond says.

Some of the builders who took on ‘The House that HOME Built’ challenge may have been nervous about the home’s modern touches. But not Drummond. Unlike most of the builders, who constructed only one home, Drummond was soon building several.
Bruce Blietz of Illinois had clocked nearly 10,000 visitors to his "HTHB" and garnered new prestige for his firm. Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

Drummond was unsure about one aspect of the house – the master bedroom’s sliding glass door. But he was overruled by his wife and business partner, Frances Drummond, who was responsible for Drummond’s career-making decision to hire a real architect to design his homes. “Francie thought it was a good idea, so we kept it. She thought it would appeal to the women.”
Don Drummond expected to net about forty sales from his showing of the house on Canterbury Street in Prairie Village, Kansas. Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

Cleveland builder, Peter Krutschnitt modified the plan, probably to deal with harsh winters. As seen in a 1955 advertisement for Fenestra Windows, the house was rotated so its entry faced the street, something Drummond did as well. The carport was replaced by a garage, and the roof overhangs were extended to provide protection for rafter ends. It appears that many builders placed the home on corner lots to allow the homes side entry to face the street.

Peter Krutschnitt 'HTHB' in a Fenestra Window Advertising Image from House+Home Magazine, September 1955.

By late spring the publicity for the homes was beginning to crescendo. The June 1 episode of ‘HOME’ featured a segment showing Thomas Church, one of the founders of modern landscape architecture, preparing planting designs for Eichler. And across the country, builders were hustling.

“My father had workmen working day and night the last two weeks of the project,” says Henry Schwier Jr., the son of New Jersey builder Henry Schwier.
Henry Schwier of Sea Girt, New Jersey set his model on a 1/4 acre waterfront lot and kept it open for several months. Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

On June 3, the day before the homes’ public opening, the entire show was devoted to ‘The House that HOME Built,’ beginning with a race between movers in San Francisco, Chicago, Kansas City, and Denver to outfit the homes with model furnishings. Afterwards, the builders were interviewed about their models.
In Flint, Michigan, Robert Gerholtz drew record crowds and wanted to participate again in 1956. Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

Not every builder, however, crossed the finish line by June 4. Some builders blamed the delays on a late spring. Others had trouble getting FHA approval for loans. Eichler and Drummond finished their houses on time along with at least seven other participants.

Eleven builders were given a second deadline, Sept. 10, during National Home Week. All of the latecomers who finished for this deadline were from Northern States.
C.B. Rogers tallied 4500 visitors on opening day alone. Image courtesy of NAHB Archive , NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

Most of the builders did well thanks to the program.

“Eleven sales consummated, $242,000 volume,” Drummond telegraphed ‘HOME’ in late June. “Thirty sales in process of being signed, at $720,000. Three weeks after ‘HOME’ promotion, sales response becoming stronger daily. Public thinks house is wonderful. It is affecting the desire to buy… Combined promotional effort is now snowballing. Market appears unlimited here. Will appreciate the opportunity to cooperate with ‘HOME’ in any way.”

Eichler Homes had similar news to report. “Sixteen houses sold in four locations,” a telegram from D.L. Stoffe read. “Total of 61 various houses sold within the four developments. Attendance in first twelve days approximately 10,000. Public response excellent. Sizable coverage of story in all San Francisco newspapers and many others in Northern California.”
M.C. (Marcus) Bogue of Denver, Colorado greeted a few of the 22,000 people who turned out for his opening of the "HTHB". Image courtesy of NAHB Archive, NAHB Correlator, October 1955.

As it turns out, ‘The House that HOME Built” was unable to ignite a nationwide desire to live in Eichler-style homes.

By October 1955, ‘HOME’ was planning new programming for 1956 with New York architect, Eldridge Snyder, designing three less modern models for builders to choose from, including ranch and split level homes. Drummond built one of the single level designs at 98th Place, but it is assumed that Eichler did not participate in the second program.
Architect, Eldridge Snyder's Celebrity 1956 HTHB Model had 1325 sq.ft. with two bedrooms, three baths and fit on a 60' lot. This model was built by Don Drummond at 98th Place in Overland Park. Image from House+Home Magazine, October 1955.

New York Architect, Eldridge Snyder's 1956 "HTHB" Spacesetter split-level model had five bedrooms, three baths and a laundry.

By the late ‘50s, romantic styles trickled into shelter magazines, crowding out the modern. For some builders, ‘HOME’ was their first and only foray into modern design. For Drummond, however, the program was just one step in a career largely devoted to modern home construction.

Today, although “Drummonds” have not achieved the mythical status of Eichler homes, they have a dedicated, cult-like following of artists, designers, realtors and architects who appreciate their open plans, post-and-beam structure, and expansive glass.

Southwest Research Institute Housing Research Foundation Certified Quality Design - Revere Quality Houses by Don Drummond and Architect David Runnells

This post could easily get the reward for the longest title at the KCMODERN blog.... This is a brochure for the "Revere Quality Houses" that I wanted to get up on the blog before the Runnells Weekend back in September, but I ran out of time and stamina. The brochure proudly displays the most famous image of Builder, Don Drummond's Revere Home, designed by Architect, David B. Runnells on page two. Also visible in the second house photo is a home by Architect, Charles M. Goodman and Builder, Robert Davenport, which was built in Hollin Hills, a modern development in Alexandria, Virginia. The third house's provenance is not known. The program was later joined by well-known Modern Builder, Joseph Eichler. The Revere Home Program was sponsored by the Southwest Research Institute Housing Research Foundation, which provided it's seal of "Certified Quality Design."





Oh yea, I forgot to mention that this brochure was found in one of the boxes that Jill (Runnells) Grose gave to me with her father's documents in them.

In Salute to the Fall Parade of Homes!

The local homebuilders and the Home Builder's Association of Greater Kansas City have been having a tough year...we salute their efforts and see a parallel to this photo. This article trumpets the Parade of Homes in 1957...with a recession looming, builders were "digging in". Don Drummond, the builder, was very busy at the time building numerous modern custom and production homes in the south Kansas City area. He got a great photo-op here, though the site needs a final grading. Clearly the photo was staged; Mr. Quinn holding building plans, Mrs. Quinn in a snappy outfit, the child(who looks like he really wants to get in the dirt) and the family dog in tow. The article says they are moving in this weekend! It's interesting to note the photo promotes the HBA Homes Tour and at the time Don didn't belong to the organization...Talk about "digging in" and positioning at all costs. This is still a cool house, though modified greatly over the years from a stone and timber modern it has the open plan and sophistication you would expect in a 50 year old city home... Here's to Homebuilders and to the economy improving!

Modern Builder, Don Drummond's Own Home by Architect, David Runnells

(Please click to enlarge this photo for best viewing)

Name: Home of Don and Francie Drummond
Architect: David B. Runnells
Year Designed: Circa 1946
Builder: Don Drummond
Year Completed: Circa 1947 or 48
Size: Unknown
Location: Mission Hills KS
Type: Residential
Style: Modern
Status: Demolished
Photographer: Unknown

This is the only known image of the house that David Runnells designed for Modern Home Builder, Don Drummond's personal use. Don loaned me this 8x10 transparency film for me to scan. He told me that some photographers, possibly from House Beautiful, were in town to shoot another of his projects and they shot this one image on their lunch break while Francie made them a meal. Notice that almost all of the tables and chairs were by high end, classic-modern designer, T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings. The one notable exception is the coffee table by Isamu Noguchi. Don Drummond Jr. said that his mother made a special trip to New York to buy all of this furniture. Most of the furniture and the painting of seagulls were in the Drummond home when we visited him in California a few years ago. In fact, he sat in the white chair to the far left almost the entire time we were there. This image is one of my favorite finds in my quest to uncover the story about Don Drummond and David Runnells.

Jerad and Jessica Foster's Revere Home


Jerad and Jessica Foster's Revere Home will be one of the eight homes on tour this weekend. They recently won two KC Home Design, design excellence awards, one gold award in the outdoor category and a silver award in the historic preservation category. Congratulations to Jerad and Jessica. We look forward to your home being on the tour!








Revere Homes by David B. Runnells

Name: Revere Home
(part of the Revere Quality House Program sponsored
by the Housing Research Foundation that is part of the
Southwest Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas)
Architect: David B. Runnells
Year Designed: 1949
Builder: Don Drummond
Year Completed: 1950-1951
Size: Varies
Location: Prairie Village, KS
Type: Residential
Style: Status:
Photographer: Unknown








Before You Buy a House by John Hancock Callender

Back in 2004, co-blogger Scott and I went to California to visit with Don Drummond at his home in Carmel, California. After an entire day of chatting about his years building Modern homes in Kansas City, he began to look for some old magazines and books about his projects in KC. He took us to a hall closet, which had some of his wife's books on design and there was this book with the Revere Homes from Prairie Village, KS on the cover. It was called, Before You Buy a House, by John Hancock Callender. My heart skipped a beat with excitement when I saw it. Seeing my enthusiasm, Don offered to give me the book. I resisted the tempting offer, suggesting that he give it to one of his children or grandchildren instead. I did except his offer on another fabulous book, but that is a story for another day. Ironically, I found the same book on the shelf of Stephen Ritchings, another Mid-Century Modern enthusiast and friend in California later that same weekend. Making note of the title, I immediately ordered a couple copies of this rare title from used book sellers upon my arrival back home.

This has proven to be one my favorite titles in my extensive vintage architecture book collection. It has early 1950's homes by many of the great house designers and builders of the time. Most notably. there is extensive coverage of the early Eichler homes by Anshen and Allen and Jones and Emmons in California. Also of note are homes in Hollin Hills, Alexandria, VA by Architect, Charles M. Goodman and Builder, Robert C. Davenport. Closer to home, there are projects in Arapahoe Acres, Denver, CO by Architect, Eugene R. Sternberg and Builder, Edward B. Hawkins.

The book is titled Before You Buy a House: How to Judge, How to Value, How to Decide by John Hancock Callender and authorized by the Architectural League of New York and the Southwest Research Institute. Published by Crown Publishing, New York in 1953.
160 pages, 34 Houses and developments, 211 black-and-white photographs, drawings, and plans, and an Evaluation Checklist prepared by The Housing Research Foundation.

Because some of these homes will be on the upcoming KCMODERN Runnells Modern House Tour I thought I would share this book with you. Here are the pages from the book pertaining to the Revere Home by Architect, David B. Runnells and Builder, Donald H. Drummond.

David Benton Runnells House Tour

We have had a few questions since starting the blog asking for information on the house pictured in the header of our blog. We have also been getting a lot of questions about when will we be having the next KCMODERN house tour. Well, we have decided to answer both questions at the same time. The house in the blog header is by Kansas City Architect, David B. Runnells. It is located in Leawood, Kansas (see the info below the photo for more details) and it will be one of the featured homes on the this years tour.

KCMODERN's David Benton Runnells House Tour will feature at least four other houses by the same architect. The date of the event is tentatively scheduled for September 20, 2009.

This years tour will be a little different because we will have multiple locations that will require some driving between house locations. There will be multiple houses to see at some of the locations.

As in years past, we are pursuing opportunities to have an evening festivity with spirits in a special house related to the tour theme. More on that later.

Look for us to start highlighting some work by David Benton Runnells on the blog in the coming weeks and months.
Name: Residence for G. Findlay Reed (original owner)
Architect: David Benton Runnells
Year Designed: 1950-1951
Builder: Donald Drummond
Year Built: 1951
Size: Unknown
Location: Leawood, Kansas (Kansas City)
Type: Residential
Style: Modern
Status: Excellent condition with some minor alterations including new sympathetic siding by present owner and a new kitchen by a previous owner.

This house was built with prefabricated panels that were manufactured in a millwork shop with windows pre-installed. The panels were then brought to the site and erected.

Drummond "Flatties" - The J.C. Nichols Connection


In 1951 Francie Drummond returned from a trip to San Francisco CA. She had seen houses built by, and met, a successful Bay Area home builder named Earl Smith. She liked the way his new house plan functioned. He developed subdivisions and built many homes. Due to the flat roofs on his many houses he was nicknamed "Flat Top" Smith. Joe Eichler, another Bay Area builder/developer started his Sunnyvale Development with house plans obtained from Smith. Here are vintage photos of Smith's model and floor plan, courtesy of Robert. (click on image to enlarge)


Francie returned home with the plans and Don built the house almost identical to Smith's, only changing; sizes of specific spaces for buyers needs, siding types, using Reynolds Aluminum windows, offering smaller patios, landscaping by Stuart Mertz and Associates (out of St. Louis MO) and per Don "engineering the house to take ten feet of snow". He liked this plan because of it's sense of structure and lovingly called them "Flatties". He built one to "model" and sold more than he had lots...quickly fixing that with J.C. Nichols, he still had to deal with the concern for flat roofs and FHA Financing issues. The house below is one of the best preserved of all the "Flatties". So much of the original classic 1950's landscaping has "grown out" and wasn't replaced...the crab trees,tulip trees and junipers softened the edges...

Drummond built culdesacs of his "Flatties" at 71st Terrace and Mission, now demolished for a Care Center, but that's another story, and 75th and Ash...the west side of the street demolished for additional daycare space for the adjacent church and a fire wiping out another on the east side of the street. There are a few on Rosewood also.

This one sports shutters and a bay window with leaded glass and converted garage, an 80's redo, note the "Flattie" behind and to the left with yellow trim... the photo below has trees that obscure the breaks in the facade but reveals the vinyl siding and replacement windows.

Don said "once I put tops on, I sold more" , meaning I guess, he got extra mileage out of the plan by putting hip roofs on the houses. Today many of these houses are considered "old" looking, but in their day and with appreciative owners today, they can look pretty cool and still provide a great sense of space and economy. The house below was redone in the late 1970's by altering the entry and adding a front deck and sliding doors where the "picture" window was, still looking nice today... Interesting to note, this was the first house that connected Don to Eichler and later led to both their work with Case Study architects Jones and Emmons from California...


Drummond's First Houses - Prairie Village, KS - The J.C. Nichols Connection - Part Two



This is a current photo of Don Drummond's first house in Kansas. Not necessarily what we think of as a "Modern" house, but it had many new distinctive features of it's day. (Click on Images to Enlarge) It also is the beginning of a significant relationship between builder and architect. After WWII, in 1946, Don had been building smaller, lesser expensive houses in KCMO...wanting to grow his business, he was encouraged by his Father-in-Law, Judge Woodruff to build in the emerging community of "Prairie Village" in the Country Club District as it was called by J.C. Nichols. In 1946-47, Don built his own home as a model to live in and to show to potential clients. With "Mr. Nichols" urging him to have an architect design his houses, Don engaged David Runnells to design his first home in PV. Don and his wife, Francie had met David Runnells, when Francie was on the Land Planning Committee for the "Western" Highway, known as 56 Hwy or Hwy 50 then, or now known as Shawnee Mission Parkway. Nichols was not a modernist, though he did believe in new home innovations, he was more concerned with what would sell and in his opinion maintain property values in his developments. Though not modern looking, the house had some pretty unique features such as the brick wall at the entry which continued inside, kitchen in the front and the living area with fireplace in the rear of the house with what would then be considered a lot of windows. Don tells a story of a rumor in the neighborhood that "peeping toms had moved in" so they could watch the actions of their neighbors...he laughed and said, " it took some getting used to for people as I built others in the neighborhood".... We have a 1947 promotional film showing this house with stained siding, the ample windows in back, kids riding trikes in the driveway and cars driving down 67th St. near Delmar, kicking up dust on the gravel road...hardly any trees in sight...just imagine PV without trees... the Drummonds stayed here until they moved into their Runnells designed modern house near 69th and Belinder in 1951.

Drummond's First Houses - Prairie Village, KS - The J.C. Nichols Connection - Part One

I love "First-Ring" suburbs. You can find the coolest MCM houses, not to mention interesting shopping areas, schools and churches. Since so many of the houses we have researched are in Prairie Village, KS it seemed like it would be interesting to explore it's early years. J.C. Nichols, the "father" of the internationally renowned Country Club Plaza Shopping District wanted to expand his company's developments into Kansas from nearby Missouri. He had already established Mission Hills as a place for the affluent. His desire was to build another community with shopping and recreation. These images are from an original promotional brochure.
After numerous attempts he finally purchased Elisabeth Porter's farm. With a promise to build her a house and enough land for an ample garden he sealed the deal. (This was the sister of the Porter that sold Nichols land around the area of Tomahawk and Roe, where Porter Park is today.)

This was not a "production" house from Nichols, but one of the best looking Cape Cods he built in P.V., it was all-brick, nicely scaled and because of it's location had a presence as the "Gatehouse" to the "Village", Nichols' shopping center. Definitely Nichols took advantage of this as a marketing strategy.

The land was platted and ready for construction when World War II began. Nichols called his new development "Prairie Village" in the Country Club District, associating this neighborhood with others he had created in KCMO, just across State Line Rd. With a "pent up" market of buyers returning from the military after the war ended, construction burst into action in 1946. The subdivision stretched from 67th street south to 71 street, Mission Rd to Roe. A total of 1776 houses were built in the sub-division. Prairie Village officially became a city in 1951, when 75th St was a dirt road west of Colonial Dr.(Click on images to enlarge)
Just look at the benefits a returning veteran could realize purchasing a house, with $257.53 cash required, a Vet would have a house payment of $68.15 on a 25 year loan, compared with a non-veteran FHA loan requiring $2683.33 in cash for a house payment of $67.93 (both payments do not include taxes and insurance)
Nichols, as usual, planned to build a shopping area adjacent to the residential community. In most of his communities it seems that all roads lead to his shopping districts.
This shows the original plan for the Prairie Village Shopping Center. Interesting to note the original location of the grocery store and drug store, very different than today...too bad we didn't get that theater!
As J.C. Nichols Company acquired more land to develop, he assembled an "All-Star" team of builders( as seen in the first image), many a generation or two in the business, and most, if not all, recognizable names today. Note Don Drummond, top row, third from left...to be continued...

Don Drummond's "Home for You in '52" - Modern Photo of the Week

In honor of KCMODERN's recognition for helping with the first ranch house survey in Kansas, I thought I would post one of our favorite ranch houses.

Name: "Home for You in '52" (modified L version)
Designer: Francie Drummond with Gier Sloan
Year Designed: circa 1950-51
Builder: Don Drummond
Year Built: 1955-56
Size: 1362 sq. ft. 3 bedroom 2 bath
Location: Prairie Village, KS
Type: Residential
Style: California Ranch
Status: Good
Photographer: Robert McLaughlin

While this photo may look like it was circa 1959, it was really taken on June 24, 2007, during the "Drummond + Weekend" House Tour in Prairie Village, Kansas.

This home was designed by Francie Drummond with the help of Gier Sloan and built by Don Drummond at multiple locations in both Kansas and Missouri. The straight version of this house was called the "Home for You in '52" in a 1951, Better Homes and Gardens magazine article. Sometime after that, the design was reworked into this L-shaped version so that it would fit on smaller lots.

The car is a 1959 Buick Electra and it belonged to one of the members of the local Buick club.

THEN & NOW -- Drummond Builds Housing for Flood Victims

In response to the housing demand caused by the disastrous flood the summer of 1951, Francie Drummond designed this house plan (there were variations, Gier Sloan, Architect may have been involved) for quickly built and inexpensive housing. (See vintage photo -- sorry photo is stained) Slab on grade foundations, flat roofs and minimalist styling helped keep costs down. Don said they had no land costs and the homes were sold for around $2,000. He said he built around forty of the houses in Kansas City, KS.
They may not exist anymore, we have been unable to locate them, but a nifty little enclave of homes near 55th and Maple, Mission, KS, resemble the flood houses. I remember some were built with flat roofs, others gabled. Now, all have gabled roofs.
Comparing the photos and disregarding the gabled roofs, vinyl siding and shutters, you can almost see the flat roof and similar window treatment. Sadly, most have lost their crisp modern styling.

THEN & NOW -- Conecting the Dots- Ralph Myers House



I agree with Robert, I'm a big fan of Kivett and Myers work. Though the firm did very little residential work, Ralph Myers designed his own home, as seen here in the newspaper, built by Don Drummond in Prairie Village, KS in 1947. The house featured passive solar heating through the large south windows and outdoor living on the "protected" patio. The recent photo is as close to the angle of the vintage photo as I could get. A privacy fence blocks any view of the alterations that enclosed and changed the original intent of the design. The house has additions and modifications that make it unrecognizable as originally built.

THEN & NOW -- Drummond Houses -- From Castillian to Hacienda

As we've done before, we have some vintage photos of Don's houses and thought it would be fun to show how they looked then and how they look now. Unfortunately, some have been altered beyond recognition. This vintage photo was taken July, 1958 for House and Home Magazine.

This house was an award winning Jones and Emmons design ("Case Study" architects from California) for Don called the "Castillian." (for more about Don's California architect connection, see articles on www.KCModern.com) A lavish open one story plan featuring many windowwalls, multiple outdoor terraces and a true sense of modern living. As far as we can tell, there were seven of these homes built in the Kansas City area and one was located in Richmond, MO. This one is located near 68th & Belinder in Mission Hill, KS. (Look for more on Belinder street soon) The house, altered drastically with Spanish styling, was unique for the type in that it had a basement/bomb shelter below the carport. As has happened in other communities throughout the United States, Belinder street has seen many changes over the last few years, many mid-century modern houses have been torn down. Because of this, we have significant concern about the future of a Marcel Breuer designed house down the street (see previous photo of the week).