Sauer Castle

Sauer Castle
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	Kansas City, Kansas
Coordinates	39°4′6.56″N94°38′2.32″W / 39.0684889°N 94.6339778°W / 39.0684889; -94.6339778
Built	1871;153 years ago (1871)
Architectural style	Italianate
Website	sauercastle.com
NRHP reference No.	77000600
Added to NRHP	August 2, 1977

The Sauer Castle is an Italianate architecture home at 935 Shawnee Road in Kansas City, Kansas, built from 1871 to 1873. It was designed by famed architect Asa Beebe Cross ^[1] as the residence of Anton Sauer. He had married Francesca in Vienna, Austria at age eighteen and a half. There, they had their five children: Gustave O.L., Anthony Philip Jr., Julius J., Emil, and Johanna. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A Kansas City, Kansas Public Library historian called it, "Without a doubt, the most famous residence in Kansas City, Kansas". ^[2]

History

Anton Sauer, born in Germany in 1823, moved to New York City in 1858 to join his mother and sisters. However, due to his worsening case of tuberculosis and the death of his wife, Francesca, in 1868, he moved his family to Kansas City.

After Anton's business became successful, he began courting a young 28-year-old widow, Mary (Maria) Einhellig Messerschmidt, who had two daughters of her own: Anna and Maria. After marrying in 1869 they had five daughters (four survived to maturity): Eva Marie, Antoinette, Josephine (sometimes listed as Fosefa), and Clara. Daughter Helen (sometimes listed as Frances) died in infancy age 14 months.

By 1872, the mansion was finally fully furnished, sitting on the Shawnee Indian trail that was part of the old Santa Fe Trail.

On August 16, 1879, Anton died in the second floor master bedroom. Mary and the children remained in the house. She died on November 29, 1919, of a heart attack, and the children remained.

Daughter Eve Maria Sauer married William C. Van Fossen in the house, having one child named Helen before the marriage failed 18 months into it. She then married a widower with six children of his own, local Wyandotte County businessman and landowner, Mr. John S. Perkins. Together they had three children and stayed married until he committed suicide with a handgun at age 73, due to his declining health. Eve and John S. Perkins's son John Harrison Perkins had an infant daughter drown in the swimming pool on the west side of the house. Eve continued to live in the family home with her son and two daughters, Eva Marie Perkins, and Marguerite A. Perkins, until her death in 1955.

Five generations of the Sauer family continued living in the mansion until the owner of a home heating oil company, Paul Berry, bought the house after Eve's death. He lived in the mansion until his own death in December 1986. Because of ghost stories originating in 1930, the house was constantly trespassed and vandalized, which Barry and his dog fought off.

In January 1987, Bud Wyman, his son and daughter in law, Cliff and Cindy Jones, bought the home hoping to turn it into a bed and breakfast. At this time, no one lived in the house. In 1988, Carl Lopp, the great, great grandson of Anthony Sauer, bought the house with the intention of fixing it up and residing there to keep it in the family. However, this difficult task has only yielded minor improvements such as fixing balconies and putting a large fence around the property.

In January 2022, Lopp listed the property for $10 million, considered far above its true market value. ^[3]

Restoration

The site was purchased in 2023 by an enthusiast who hired teams of comprehensive historical restoration specialists. Their goals were structural stability and restoration of original architectural features, using modern techniques such as foundation stabilization and roof repair. ^{[4] [5]} They used period-appropriate materials and methods where possible, especially on stonework. ^{[5] [6]}

Architecture

Asa Beebe Cross was one of the most prominent Kansas City architects, and designed Sauer Castle in the Italianate Villa architecture style. ^[7] This typically focuses on classical proportions, decorative brackets, and tall, narrow windows. The house's reportedly most distinctive feature is its four-story tower, providing panoramic views. ^[4]

It was placed in the Register of Historic Kansas Places on July 1, 1977. It was placed in the National Register of Historic Places on August 2, 1977. ^[8] It was placed in the Kansas City, Kansas Historic Landmarks on January 29, 1987.

References

1. "City Summary" . The Kansas City Times . March 1, 1873. p. 4. Retrieved May 1, 2022– via Newspapers.com. Mr. Anthony Sauer has commenced a series of very costly and elegant improvements about four miles from this city upon the Shawnee road. His house and improvements were designed by Mr. Cross, the architect, and they may be considered some of the finest of the season.
2. "Know Your KCK History: Sauer Castle". Kansas City, Kansas Public Library . Retrieved December 11, 2024.
3. Hendricks, Mike (January 23, 2022). "Who would pay $10 million for a fixer upper? That's the asking price for Sauer Castle". No. 2022 Property Listing. Kansas City Star. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
4. "The Sauer Castle: A Tale of Five Generations with an Uncertain Future". KC Yesterday. July 25, 2024. Retrieved December 10, 2024.
5. Alvord, Kyler (July 17, 2024). "Sauer Castle in Wyandotte County Getting Multi-Million Dollar Makeover". Fox 4 KC . Retrieved December 10, 2024.
6. Lile, David; Kaufmann, Gina (May 23, 2024). "After Years of Disrepair, Sauer Castle in Kansas City, Kansas Will Soon Be Restored" (Podcast). KCUR . Retrieved December 10, 2024.
7. Paul, Steve (May 20, 2024). "Long Down for the Count: 150-Year-Old Sauer Castle Is on the Way to a Rebirth". KC Studio.
8. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.