McAdams | |
|---|---|
 McAdams neighborhood sign (2019) | |
| Coordinates: 37°42′17″N97°19′24″W / 37.70472°N 97.32333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Kansas |
| County | Sedgwick |
| City | Wichita |
| Elevation | 1,304 ft (397 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 869 |
| ZIP code | 67214 |
| Area code | 316 |
McAdams is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. [3] A mixed industrial and residential area northeast of Downtown Wichita, it is a historical center of the city's African American community. [4]
Despite prevalent racism and segregation in the early decades of Wichita history, an active African American community and business district developed northwest of the Old Sedgwick County Courthouse in what is today Midtown. Black men worked as construction workers, mechanics, railroad workers, and in the city's packinghouses. By the 1920s, the neighborhood supported multiple churches, public schools, and fraternal organizations. By the 1940s, the community had relocated several blocks northeast, specifically to the area north of Murdock Street and east of Washington Avenue i.e. present-day McAdams. [5]
The intersection of 9th Street and Cleveland Street became the commercial hub of the local black community. [4] By the late 1940s, it was the site of a grocery store, drug store, and the Dunbar Theater. [5] Built in 1941, the theater was named after poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and, until 1963, the only theater available to the city's African Americans. Through the 1950s, it anchored a bustling area of retail stores, hair salons, and cafes. [6] In 1966, the city renamed McKinley Park, located at the north end of the neighborhood, as McAdams Park after Emerson McAdams, a former city policeman and park director. [7]
McAdams was home to the McAfee family, [8] including nationally acclaimed African American architect Charles McAfee, after whom the McAfee city pool in Wichita is named, his brother Morehouse College Athletic Director Arthur "Sonny" McAfee, and his sister Gwendolyn McAfee who was head of the UCLA Hematology Lab in Los Angeles.
Over the following decades, the neighborhood was split by construction of the Interstate 135 freeway, with many businesses closing and residential housing falling into disrepair. [6] [9] In the early 1970s, the city government conducted generalized planning for urban renewal in McAdams, focusing on the industrial corridor that had developed along its western edge. In the early 2000s, community activists began working with the city government to reinvest in the neighborhood and improve quality of life, leading to the creation of formal revitalization plan in 2003. [4]
McAdams is located at 37°42′17″N97°19′24″W / 37.70472°N 97.32333°W (37.704722, -97.323333) at an elevation of 1,304 feet (397 m). [10] 13th Street North forms its northern boundary, Hydraulic Avenue and Interstate 135 its eastern boundary, Central Avenue its southern boundary, and Mosley Street its western boundary. [4] McAdams borders the Power neighborhood to the northeast; Minnesota Fats, Northeast Central, A. Price Woodard, and Murdock to the east; and New Salem to the southeast. The Hyde (also known as Kellogg School) lies to the south, Downtown Wichita to the southwest, and Midtown to the west. [3]
For the purposes of representation on the Wichita City Council, most of McAdams lies within Council District 1. The small portion of the neighborhood west of Washington Avenue is in Council District 6. [11]
For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, McAdams is located in the 29th district of the Kansas Senate and the 84th and 103rd districts of the Kansas House of Representatives. [12] [13]
Wichita Public Schools operates two facilities in the neighborhood: [14]
The city government's Park and Recreation Department manages two parks in the neighborhood: McAdams Park and Paul Laurence Dunbar Park. Occupying 57.46 acres (23.25 ha) west of Interstate 135 between 13th Street and 17th Street, McAdams Park includes an assembly area for performances, biking and hiking trails, baseball diamonds, basketball courts, a concession stand, a football field, a playground, a recreation center, a swimming pool, tennis courts, tetherball courts, and volleyball courts. [7] Paul Laurence Dunbar Park, located at Indiana and 11th Street, is a small, 0.30-acre (0.12 ha) neighborhood park which includes a playground. [15]
During the 1940s, the Dunbar Theatre was not only a destination for entertainment but also a center of the McAdams neighborhood, providing a welcoming place for African-Americans who faced segregation elsewhere in the city. Located at the intersection of 9th and Cleveland streets, the theatre was a central gathering place for locals to socialize and enjoy themselves. It became a symbol of not just a building but also a sense of community.
The current plan is to renovate the theatre and transform it into a cultural performing arts center, catering to the needs of the community. There are plans to expand the Dunbar Theatre space into a community center that promotes the arts and education.
Mosley is the main north–south street in McAdams. 13th Street and Murdock Street are the primary east–west streets. Other arterial roads include Central Avenue, which runs east–west along the southern edge of the neighborhood, and 17th Street, which runs east–west along the northern edge of the neighborhood. Interstate 135 runs generally north–south through the eastern part of the neighborhood, accessible via interchanges at Central, Murdock, and 13th Street. [3] [10]
Wichita Transit offers bus service in McAdams on its 25, 27, and 28 routes. [16]
BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad operate freight rail lines which run north–south two blocks west of McAdams, parallel to Mosley Street. [17]
Wichita is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River.
McAdams Park, formerly McKinley Park, is a city park, baseball field, and swimming pool built in 1901 and located at 1329 E. 13th Street in Wichita, Kansas, United States.
Riverside is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mostly residential area located between the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers, it is home to several of the city's museums and large parks.
Delano is a neighborhood located in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the west bank of the Arkansas River, it is home to Friends University, Riverfront Stadium, and Exploration Place, the Sedgwick County science museum.
College Hill is a historical, predominantly residential neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States.
Midtown is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the east bank of the Little Arkansas River, it is the oldest neighborhood in the city.
Downtown Wichita is the central business district, government and social core of the Wichita metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is home to several of the area's major landmarks and event venues including the Epic Center, Century II Performing Arts & Convention Center, Intrust Bank Arena, Riverfront Stadium, Keeper of the Plains sculpture, the Old Town entertainment district, and the historic Delano neighborhood.
South Central is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area on the east bank of the Arkansas River, it is among the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
The Hyde, also known as Kellogg School, is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is a mixed commercial and residential area immediately southeast of Downtown Wichita on the west side of Interstate 135.
The following is a list of neighborhoods in Wichita, Kansas, United States.
New Salem is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A predominantly residential area, it is located in the east-central part of the city on the east side of Interstate 135.
Uptown is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area, it is located in the east-central part of the city.
Linwood is a residential neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It lies in the south-central part of the city west of Interstate 135.
The Dunbar Theatre is a movie theater in Wichita, Kansas, United States. Opened in 1941, it was named after an American author Paul Laurence Dunbar. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places since July 2, 2008, and the Kansas State Registry of Historic Places. It is located at 1007 N Cleveland St. in the McAdams Neighborhood, which is a historically African-American Neighborhood.
Southwest is a mixed commercial and residential neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It consists of a large area west of the Arkansas River in the southern part of the city.
South City is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial, industrial, and residential area, it lies on the east bank of the Arkansas River in the south-central part of the city.
Orchard Breeze is a mixed residential and commercial neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It lies in the west-central part of the city on the east side of Interstate 235.
Benjamin Hills is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area, it lies on the north bank of the Arkansas River in the northwestern part of the city.
Westlink is a neighborhood in Wichita, Kansas, United States. A mixed commercial and residential area, it lies in the western part of the city.
Charles Francis McAfee,, , is an American architect, building material manufacturer, and housing activist. He was the founding president of Charles F. McAfee Architects, Engineers, and Planners firm which was headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. McAfee has had a distinguished career, and has been considered one of the most important African-American architect in the United States for his social activism in designing affordable housing. He was a mentor to many of Black architects, including two of his own daughters.
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