Restoring a piece of history

News

Written by Brian McCauley

Wednesday, 24 June 2009 07:00

Richard Miller (above) and his family are now closer to finishing renovations to the historic Jackson Hotel in Paola thanks to the recent awarding of a Kansas Heritage Trust Fund grant. (Photo by Brian McCauley)

The walls of Paola’s Jackson Hotel tell a story of a luxurious past, one involving movie stars and rich historical significance, and it’s a story Richard Miller and his family aren’t ready to see come to an end just yet.

In fact, the next chapter is in the process of being written, as the Miller family takes the next step toward completing their renovations of the 88-year-old brick building on Peoria Street.

The Kansas Historical Society recently announced the Jackson Hotel was one of 20 projects across the state to receive grant money from the Heritage Trust Fund. The Kansas Historic Sites Board of Review received 52 eligible applications, requesting a total of $3,451,103, but only 20 were awarded, totaling $1,175,752.

The Jackson Hotel project was awarded $56,478 for exterior masonry repairs and various interior rehabilitation projects, according to a news release.

The money allows Richard Miller to continue the project, which had been put on hold while he dealt with health problems and tried to secure financing. Miller said he was working with officials from the former TeamBank on the project, and now that the bank has changed hands, he has had to go back to the beginning of the process. First Option Bank has also provided loans. The project is only partially supported by the Heritage Trust Fund grant from the Kansas Historical Society.

Still, some progress is already made inside the building, and Miller is hoping the new funds will help him complete the renovations, which includes turning the first floor into a restaurant and office space and restoring the hotel rooms on the second floor.

Lakewood Properties, composed of Richard and Julie along with their son, Bradley Miller, and his wife, Kim, is the organization handling the renovation project. Once complete, the hotel will add to a family business of wedding-related services, including
EmilyHart Bridal, which is operated by the Millers’ daughter in Paola and sells wedding dresses and other supplies, and Evergreen Events, which Julie operates just off Park Square and often hosts wedding receptions.

And the family connection doesn’t end there. Julie Miller of Evergreen Events and Donna Nagle of Molly’s Table plan to team up to open the restaurant Barrett and Gray in the first floor of the Jackson Hotel. The owners plan on serving only a dinner menu upon opening, but they may extend it to include additional meals in the future, according to a news release.

Walking through the dusty belly of the historic building, with streams of sunlight cascading in through the few windows on the first floor that aren’t boarded up, Richard talked earlier this month about what the renovated building will look like when complete.

Damaged tin ceiling tiles will be replaced with similar looking tin tiles, some of which are already in place on the ceiling. The wood floors will be repaired and refinished, and storm windows and drywall will be installed. The skylight, fire escape and inside windows and trim also will also be repaired.

Clearing out years of dust, scrap metal, rotted wood and debris has been no easy task, but Richard and his crews already have installed a new sprinkler system and electrical wiring for cable television, telephone and Internet access in all of the hotel rooms.

Miller said the infrastructure of the building’s interior is almost complete, with the old steam registers, cast iron plumbing and wiring being removed and new code-compliant wiring, plumbing and heating ducts installed. Three five-ton heating and cooling units have been installed just for the first floor. Fire sprinklers were added to all three floors and the front porch. Burglar and fire alarms, strobes, heat sensors, glass break sensors and eight security cameras also have been installed to keep the building secure.

Because the hotel is now listed on the Kansas and national historical registries, Miller has to work with the organizations on the plans to ensure the historic hotel will be properly restored so the project will be eligible for tax credits.

The hotel was designed by George Washburn, and it was built in 1921. In its heyday, the hotel was considered a luxury, even luring movie stars Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes, who came to Paola in 1940 to attend a showing of their new movie “Colorado,” according to the hotel’s Web site, www.jackson
hotelpaola.com.

Miller is hoping a refurbished Jackson Hotel can add to a small town that he believes already is a draw for people living in nearby cities.

“We want to advertise in the KC area media in order to draw persons to Paola,” Miller wrote in a news release. “We have a very unique town, especially the town Square. Out of town visitors will drive here to have a weekend retreat in a historical refurbished hotel and/or just to have a nice meal at the many restaurants in town and to shop the many stores with their varieties of goods and services available.”

Richard said he still does not have an exact time frame for the project’s completion, but the plan is to complete the first floor as soon as possible so the kitchen, lobby, office, rest rooms and dining room will be ready for use.

Set as favorite

Bookmark

Email This

Trackback(0)

TrackBack URI for this entry