Warkentin House, Newton, Kansas

The Warkentin house is a classic example of a Victorian Mansion. It was constructed by Ken Warkentin who had immigrated from Ukraine He realized that Kansas was a perfect place to grow a Ukrainian type of wheat.

Encouraging others to immigrate and raise this special type of wheat, which he would then grind in his newly built grist mill, his fortune soon grew. Adding storage bins he soon had the money he needed to build a mansion in Newton, Kansas.

The mansion covers 17,420 square feet and opened in1886 even though it was not finished until 1887. It reminds us of the Futon Mansion in Fulton, Texas in that the Warkentin Mansion is filled with innovations, exquisite furniture, and was built with imported carpenters from England and other countries.

The mansion was expanded in 1890 by building more rooms to the rear of the mansion. A special garage/stable was built with an inside platform that rotated so that they could drive their buggy, and later cars, straight into the covered garage. Then after rotating, it would allow them to drive straight out to the road, (their first car did not have a reverse).

The tour was led by an excellent guide who was probably the most knowledgeable expert on the structure. It was a special tour as, the place was closed on Friday, but she agreed to take us on a private showing.

The furniture was constructed from walnut and other woods with numerous examples of feathering in the grain. The floor was constructed of a mosaic of individual wood pieces in a pattern typically seen in English homes.

They raised a family in their house before they went to Europe, where the father died of an accidental shooting while riding in a train car. His wife never remarried and spent the rest of her time using the mansion as a place for nurses to stay, besides volunteering in the Rest home near the mansion.

As we toured the museum, many of the couple’s finest clothes have been preserved. The mansion is on the list of National Historic Places. There is so much to see that my blog does not do it justice. A special thanks to our friends Bob and Nancy who set up the tour and showed us another facet of one of the jewels of Newton, Kansas. Clear skies