Pick of the Week – Brick Victorian in Historic Union Hill Neighborhood

I recently toured a historic Victorian home for sale at 3022 Oak in the historic Union Hill neighborhood of Kansas City, just south of downtown and Crown Center, near Martini Corner. It is currently for sale at a price of $249,500, and is 3 bedroom on a double lot.

Aside from the obvious character and cool factor, here are a few of my favorite things about this house:

• Double Lot with New Driveway: Live the urban homesteading dream with your big garden and maybe even a few hens.
• All Brick Exterior: Not only is brick beautiful, when it comes to home construction, brick is the best and it actually increases the value of a home. The foundation is limestone, which are strong and solid.
• High Ceilings: One of my favorite features in any home
• Windows: Beautiful tall windows with ample natural light. This is a happy, sunny house.
• Kitchen: The kitchen is big, open, and has been recently remodeled into a high-end chef’s kitchen.
• Layout: I like it when the bedrooms are upstairs, with the living space and a half-bathroom on the first floor. It makes the main level larger, more open, and better for entertaining.
• Front Porch: This is one of the best front porches. It was re-built with some gorgeous specialty wood, it has a porch swing, and the house and porch sit up just high enough from the street that it gives a sense of privacy.
• Tax Abated: As part of the city’s redevelopment plan, some of the properties here currently enjoy tax abatements.

Image Credit: “Missouri Valley Special Collections, Kansas City Public Library, Kansas City, Missouri.” Row houses in the Union Hill area, 29th and Main Street. Duncan Architects, Inc. received an award for its work in the renovation of these buildings.

About the Union Hill Neighborhood

Union Hill is a small neighborhood just south of crown center from about 27th Street to 31st Street, and from Main Street to Gillham Road. It is primarily comprised of restored Victorian homes from the late 19th Century, renovated row homes, and more recently built condominiums, town homes and apartments. Bordering the neighborhood on the southeast side sits the historic Union Cemetery. Union Cemetery was founded in 1857 and is the final resting place to many prominent Kansas Citians who  helped build this city, as well as veterans from every war from the Revolution to Vietnam are buried here, including those who fought for both sides during the Civil War. I know cemeteries aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it really is a historically interesting and beautiful cemetery to visit. You can look up more information on the history of Union Hill and Union Cemetery on the Kansas City Public Library’s Missouri Valley Special Collections website, which is one of my favorite resources for historical research in and around Kansas City.