Long, R. A., House

About this property

The Museum of Kansas City is located in Kansas City, Missouri, United States. In 1910, the site was built by lumber baron and civic leader Robert A. Long as his private family estate, with the four-story historic Beaux-Arts style mansion named Corinthian Hall. In 1940, the site was donated by Long's heirs to become a public museum. Seventy-five years later, it began extensive renovation. The 3-acre (12,000 m2) estate consists of Corinthian Hall, named for its Corinthian columns, and its outbuildings. It was built as a private residence for Robert A. Long and his family, completed in 1910 for an estimated $1 million (equivalent to $34.6 million in 2025). It was designed by local architect Henry F. Hoit. The four-story mansion features 35,000-square-foot (3,300 m2), with 24,292-square-foot (2,256.8 m2) of livable space. R.A. Long began buying land on Gladstone Blvd to build the future home of himself, his wife Ella, and one of their daughters, the equestrian Loula Long Combs. The location of Corinthian Hall was chosen because it overlooked North Terrace Park (later renamed Kessler Park), giving ample room for Loula to exercise her horses. Long wanted an entire block for his estate, however two houses already sat on the desired land. He bought both of the homes with the condition that they would be moved. One of the houses was a "high-turreted, three-story red brick mansion" that was the residence of Judge William Hockaday Wallace and his family. This house was moved to 3200 Norledge. The other home was the residence of Herman F. Schmelzer, but after Long bought it and had it moved, he gave the house to Dr. George Hamilton Combs. Combs was not only the pastor of the Independence Boulevard Christian Church where the Longs attended, but also the father of Loula's future husband, Robert Pryor Combs. After the houses were moved, Long had the entire block to build his final home, Corinthian Hall, alongside several other buildings and structures. The other buildings were the gatehouse or "lodge", belonging to horse trainer David Smith and his family, the carriage house where horses and tack were kept, the conservatory, a gardener's shed, and a greenhouse. A pergola covered in wisteria hung over a walkway which connected the carriage house, conservatory, and greenhouse. As of September 2025, all buildings and structures are still present, except for the greenhouse, which was destroyed in the 1960s. In 1917, Loula married Robert Pryor Combs, and the couple moved to Longview Farm. While the Longs' other daughter, Sally America Long Ellis, did not live at Corinthian Hall, she would visit often with her children. She gave birth to four out of her five children at the home.

Location

Categories

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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