The Third Floor: Four Bedrooms

There are four bedrooms on the third floor! People tell us that we should make the house into a bed an breakfast! Each room definitely has its own personality! We have nicknamed them so that when we have guests, they know which room to stay in!

This is the "cabin room"! It has a fabulous view of trees out the window and it is especially beautiful in the fall when the leaves all change colors! It is shown with a full sized bed in the photos.







We call this room the "play room" because it has a fun vibe! The corner closet (with the mirrored door) houses the air conditioning and heating unit for the third floor. It also has a large sized walk in closet.




The next room is the "princess room" because of its girlie decor! It has a great sized closet and is shown with a full sized bed.




The last room on the third floor is called the "Americana Room"! It is shown in the photos with a queen sized bed and a wonderful wall of built in storage





The lighting fixtures in the third floor bedrooms are all original!

The Basement: Recreation Room, Work Out Room and Storage

If you go down these stairs from the front entryway, you will end up in the basement.


There is a extra large rec room with lots of room to play.




On the other side of the rec room is the weight room.

It even has cable access for tv watching while you work out!




There is also a huge amount of storage in the basement. This room was originally a wine cellar.



There's more storage in this area, as well as space for a freezer and the heating/air conditioning unit.



From the basement you can also see how the house was put together! It is a sturdy old house with beams like this to support it! It was definitely built to stand the test of time!

The Great Outdoors

This is an aerial photo (our friends across the street took while they were flying over Arkansas City)of our neighborhood!


The house is a stately looking place with a double lot!


Generations of children have imagined living here, as they walk past the house to school everyday!


The tree lined streets and brick roads add to the charm of the neighborhood!



The extra lot provides plenty of breathing room! The trees shade the lot and the open area is a perfect place for a game of tag! The north yard makes for a lovely view out the kitchen windows!


This old tree has provided hours of entertainment with its tire swing!


The home has a large two car garage with a second floor storage area! It could be finished in to provide a studio or extra bonus room! We replaced the roof and garage doors in the time that we have lived here!


There's plenty of space for a green thumb to enhance the landscape but we've enjoyed the roses that were here and have planted a few plants ourselves!


The backyard is our oasis! It is a great place to spend hot summer evenings relaxing in the shade. There is plenty of space to entertain and with an in ground sprinkler system, the lawn stays nice and lush!



The brick patio, bench and stone planter, overflowing with Hostas, make the backyard a wonderful place to pass the time!

The History of Our Home

Our home was commissioned by an oil wildcatter and his wife who had struck it rich in 1919. Mr. James Buchanan Lantz and Mrs. Linnie Pearl Jacobs Lantz purchased our lots and the two houses that sat on them. They subsequently purchased the property across the street to the east which housed a dairy farm, creamery and ice cream factory. The dairy farm (and related businesses) were relocated and the Lantzs moved the two houses from the west side property across the street to that location. Here is the Arkansas City Fire Map from 1912 to show the layout of the neighborhood as the Lantzs saw it in the 1920's!

In 1922, Mr. Lantz purchased Carthage Stone from Joplin, Missouri and contracted J.O. Brown to build his new residence (our current home). Construction began on the garage first. The two car, free standing, two story garage cost $20, 000 to build. Quite a luxury back in that day!



Unfortunately, Mr. Lantz never saw the completion of his dream home. He died after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage on March 17, 1923. Mrs. Lantz saw the house through to completion. Under her direction, the home became one of the finest homes in Cowley County with beautiful details like Italian crystal chandeliers and inlaid wood doors (which have, for the most part, remained remarkably unaltered through the years.)

She moved into the home and lived here with her two employees, Mr. William Kemp and his wife Dorothy Kemp. Mr. Kemp was her driver and butler and Mrs. Kemp kept house and took care of domestic responsibilities. The home was a popular stop on the Halloween Trick or Treating circuit because Mr. Kemp would pass out full size Hershey's chocolate bars on a silver platter to the costumed children. Mrs. Lantz continued her husband's work in the oil industry with the help of her personal secretary, Mrs. Ruth Grow and kept an office in the Home National Bank building. (Mrs. Lantz was apparently a very generous person. The Kemps' daughter came by and met us during a fundraising open house. She said that Mrs. Lantz had paid for her college education. Also, Mrs. Grow's relations have stopped by and told us stories about Mrs. Lantz spoiling them, as she had no children of her own.)

Linnie Lantz died in 1962 of cancer. She left the home to the Catholic Diocese in Wichita (though she was a Presbyterian). The home sat empty until purchased by Dr. Edward and Mrs. Donna Lea Humpston in 1964. (Humstons' daughter, Linda, stopped by for a visit one year during Arkalalah.)

The Humpstons sold the home to Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Vining. Who resided in the house from 1970 through 1971.

The Vinings sold the house to Paul Kennedy who lived here from 1971 to 1974. Mr. Kennedy sold the home to Dr. and Mrs. Edward Green. Who lived here from 1974 through the late 1970's or early 1980's.

Dr. and Mrs. Morton lived in the home next and in 1991, Mr. Ray Robson, of California, purchased the house and decided to relocate to Arkansas City because of the home.

Mr. Robson sold us the home in July of 2001 and we have loved living here ever since. As you can see, a lot of doctor's families have lived here. It has a reputation of being "the doctor's house."

We are praying that this home will serve as a place to make wonderful memories for the next owners, just like it has been for our family!!!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are you selling?
*We have decided to make a career change and move closer to our extended family in another town.

How long have you lived in the home?
*We have lived here for 7 years in July and have made wonderful memories during that time!

What renovations or updates have you done since living in the home?
*We have made many changes but here is a short list of the major renovations and improvements we have done.
1. Replaced roof and garage doors on garage.
2. Updated electrical service to the house.
3. New sewer line and many plumbing upgrades.
4. Installed new air conditioning/heating units.
5. Replaced most of the first floor ceilings.
6. Installed new vinyl privacy fence and landscaped the back yard complete with a sprinkler system.
7. Redecorated most of the house.
8. Replaced the roof and soffits on the porch.

What is your neighborhood like?
*The house is in a wonderful location. It is across the street from a fabulous elementary school, within short walking distance to downtown and two grocery stores and it is a great location during Arkalalah because the parade route is two and a half blocks away! Our favorite part of our neighborhood, though, is our neighbors! They are wonderful and there are many (well behaved) kids on our block! That will definitely be the hardest part of selling our home!

How much are you asking for the house?
*We are asking $245,000.

How many square feet is the house?
*It is 5000+ feet above ground with a full basement (with full sized, single hung sash windows) below!

(Please feel free to leave a comment and ask any other questions you might have and we will add them to this post with an answer!)