National Register of Historic Places

Niles, Rial A., House

Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas
Listed
September 5, 2006
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
06000772

About this property

The Rial A. Niles House is a historic house at 605 E. 12th Street in Baxter Springs, Kansas, United States. The house was built in 1870 for Rial A. Niles, a local businessman, and his wife. The house was designed in the Italianate style and features a hip roof with a cupola, a front porch with decorative wooden posts and arches, and four brick chimneys. After Niles went bankrupt, Colonel William March, an officer in the Union Army and two-time Baxter Springs postmaster, bought the house in 1875. March lost the house after his wife's death in 1902, and it passed through a number of tenants until the 1930s. In 1938, the Baxter Springs Women's Club rented the house, which it used for meetings and social gatherings until it disbanded in 1956. The house was then purchased by the local Episcopal congregation and became St. Mark's Episcopal Church until the congregation also disbanded in 1977. The house has since reverted to its previous use as a residence. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 6, 2006. The house underwent a major renovation from 2020-2023 to save the property and restore it to period accuracy. Local Baxter Springs resident Geoffery Roberts led the effort to restore the historic property. As of 2023, it is open as a local center for events. The house is full of hand-painted pictures and murals by local artist Jordan Wood.

Location

605 E. 12th St.
Baxter Springs, Cherokee County, Kansas
37.02345, -94.72897

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL HISTORY
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Baxter Springs High School
Industrial
0.3 mi
Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station
Industrial
0.4 mi
Johnston Library
Industrial
0.5 mi
Brush Creek Bridge
Listed
3.5 mi
Williams' Store
Industrial
3.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Baxter Springs Massacre – Ambush of Blunt's Escort
1863Civil War
0.3 mi
Quantrill at Baxter Springs Kansas
1863Civil War
0.4 mi
Battle of Baxter Springs (Quantrill)
1863Civil War
0.4 mi
Baxter Springs Massacre
1863Civil War
0.6 mi
Battle of Baxter Springs – Fort Blair Assault
1863Civil War
0.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Niles, Rial A., House listed on the National Register?

Niles, Rial A., House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 5, 2006.

What type of historic resource is Niles, Rial A., House?

Niles, Rial A., House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Niles, Rial A., House?

The period of significance for Niles, Rial A., House is recorded as the industrial era.

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