The army ghost town facing demolition: Kansans outraged as 185 historic mansions at Fort Leavenworth are set to be razed

About 185 historic Army homes at Fort Leavenworth are in danger of being demolished due to high maintenance costs, sparking outrage among locals.

The Kansas Army installation’s properties, many dating between 1800 and 1900, have fallen into disrepair in recent years, with wood rotting, plaster and foundations crumbling, paint peeling and pipes corroded.

The Michaels Organization, a for-profit company with a 50-year lease to manage all of Fort Leavenworth’s housing, has now proposed razing these homes.

But the devastated residents of Fort Leavenworth claim the city will become a ghost town if they are demolished.

‘This literally erases history. Once these are gone, they are gone forever. If these are removed, Fort Leavenworth will be a completely different place. It’s almost a ghost town,” an anonymous military source said Kansas City star.

Of the 185 houses, 89 are large houses built before 1919. The rest are in a 12-unit infantry barracks along Pope Avenue and Doniphan Drive that dates to the early 1900s.

Carol Ayres, president of the Leavenworth County Historical Society, explained, “It’s expensive to redo those old houses.

‘They are also expensive to replace. I think everyone understands the reality of the situation. I’m afraid that the people who make these decisions, pardon me, don’t always think about history and how important it is.

“We stand on the shoulders of the people who built this post, who built our city. Without them we wouldn’t be where we are today.’

But while the Michaels Organization has proposed tearing down these historic military buildings, the military itself has not yet drawn up such a plan or even agreed to demolish the sites.

“All figures recommended by our housing partners are pre-decisive, meaning they have not been approved by Army leadership at any level.” said Scott Gibson, Fort Leavenworth public affairs officer.

A spokesperson for the Michaels Organization also confirmed that the profit organization is not in discussions with the military about destroying the buildings.

“I can confirm that the military has not yet informed Michaels of any decision they have made regarding his plan for these homes – so we really cannot comment on it at this time,” they told police . Star.

Despite assurances, locals, especially military families, remain concerned about the future of these historic sites.

“The concern is that Kansas is going to lose its history. It’s easier for Michaels to tear them down and just put up a squatter than it is to try to preserve a historic house,” said one Fort resident.

Another resident also commented: ‘These houses are so strong. They are so sturdy. They are so solid. And they are beautiful inside.

“This history will be gone, wiped out.”

Talks of plans to tear down the old structures have been circulating for almost a year.

According to the City Star, the proposal to destroy all historic units was shared at a meeting at Fort Leavenworth with Tami Bartunek, the Kansas City district director for the office of Republican U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas.

Bartunek later confirmed that the topic had been discussed.

The Michaels Organization had reportedly signed a 50-year agreement in 2006 to manage the fort’s housing.

Under this agreement, the for-profit is intended to restore old homes plagued by outdated plumbing, old heating and electrical systems, asbestos, lead paint and aged wood, while following strict federal guidelines.

According to these guidelines, known as the Secretary of the Interior Standards for the Treatment of Historic PropertiesThe company plans to hire special craftsmen to ensure that sites are restored to their original style using authentic materials.

But in recent years, citizens of the fort have complained that, instead of maintaining the older homes, Michaels has engaged in a technique known as “demolition by neglect.”

Locals claim that the organization has left many historic houses uninhabited and has left them in such disrepair that demolition inevitably becomes the only solution.

One such house that many believe was deliberately left to rot and could potentially be demolished in the future is The Rookery.

Built around 1830, a report the site states the ‘level of care and maintenance this home has received’. … is the living definition of “Demolition by Neglect”.

“It is an unacceptable state of disrepair, not only for the national and state legacy that is the Rookery!…but also for the quality of housing in which the active duty military families of the United States Army deserve to live.”

In a series of 50 photos, viewers can see the oldest inhabited house in Kansas, damaged by rotting wood, peeling paint, missing planks, cracked support columns and rusted and leaking gutters.

But The Rookery isn’t the only devastating property at Fort Leavenworth.

A July 2023 report on the Syracuse House, a yellow two-story duplex built in 1855, also showed the extensive damage the property suffered.

The report included multiple images of rotten planks, cladding, window frames, fascias, balustrades and unpainted patchwork repairs in the house.

Another historic site report stated that Michaels had replaced a wood floor with an incorrect vinyl floor and that it had to be removed and replaced.

The Michaels Organization has not yet responded to allegations of purposeful neglect.