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Carlton School only top 10 endangered site worse than when listed in March 1997 It’s been 10 years since HPA published a "Top 10 At-Risk Sites" list that included Carleton School, so it seems appropriate to follow up on what has happened since then. A group of preservationists from all over the city met after the November 1996 demolition of the Allis Hotel and came up with a list of the 25 most endangered buildings and sites. By March 1997 that list had been culled and a prioritized "top 10" had been established. And, in the 10 years since, seven of the 10 endangered have been saved. 1. The Carey House (Eaton) Hotel has since been restored and turned into a thriving condominium complex. The only unused spaces are the lobby and ballroom. 2. The Keen Kutter Building has been turned into the Hotel at Old Town and is part of the thriving landscape in that area. 3. The Orpheum is almost completely restoried to its early glory with additional fund-raising and restoration constantly under way. 4. Engine House No. 6 has been completely restored and was recently named the Official Firefighters Museum for the state of Kansas. 5. The art deco exterior of North High School was beautifully restored as part of USD 259’s bond issue. 8 The Munger House at the Old Cowtown Museum was restored and repaired in 2003. 9. The Ark Valley Lodge was restored and repaired, with a low brick building added to the north to serve as an anchor to keep it from shifting. Two more of those on the list have neither improved nor been razed. 7. The Shirkmere Hotel is still standing and operational. 10. The Caldwell-Murdock Building is being renovated as a boutique hotel and conference center. Only one building on the list is in worse shape and facing a far graver future now than it was in 1997. 6. Carleton School was sold by the city to private developers who tore out the wide front steps and then walked away, leaving a gaping hole in the front and unsecured windows that have since been broken out. Updated 11/14/09 |