Moving A Landmark

Progress and preservation are not mutually exclusive at Park University. To make way for the construction of the Robert W. Plaster Free Enterprise Center, the future home of Park’s School of Business and the Park Global Warrior Center, the fate of the University’s beloved Park House — also known as the Alumni House — on the flagship Parkville Campus was uncertain.

“Park House either had to be moved or destroyed,” said Carolyn Elwess, ’71, the University’s archivist, who, along with many Park alumni and friends, didn’t want to see the beloved building destroyed. Its location, however, was determined to be the most suitable to build the Plaster Center to meet the changing needs of today’s students.

Built in 1845, Park House was the original home to George Park, co-founder of Park University and founder of the City of Parkville, Mo. The quaint home sat at the campus entrance and served many purposes over the years, including Park faculty and alumni staff offices. “Park House holds a special place in the hearts of many,” Elwess said.

Because Park understood the home’s historical and sentimental significance, the University launched a “Save the Park House” fundraising campaign that was diligently championed by Elwess. With generous contributions from Park alumni and friends, the campaign surpassed its goal to secure $127,000.

“Our thanks to everyone who contributed to make this possible,” Elwess said. “And special thanks to Park University President Greg Gunderson for his personal contribution and for issuing a funding challenge that spurred action to get us to the finish line.”

On August 7, Park House was strategically lifted and ever-soslowly moved up a hill to its new location to the east of Hawley Hall. “It was impressive to watch the movers work with surgical precision,” Elwess said.

With Park House landing in its new location safely, it will become the home for the University’s George S. Robb Centre for the Study of the Great War where faculty and students conduct research for the Valor Medals Review project, a national effort to honor unrecognized heroes of World War I. This past spring, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate introduced separate bills that, if signed into law, will require the Department of Defense to carry out a systematic review of select members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who, in spite of valorous deeds, may have been denied the Medal of Honor due to race. The Robb Centre is conducting the research through the efforts of the Valor Medals Review Task Force in conjunction with the Foundation for the Commemoration of the World Wars on behalf of the U.S. World War I Centennial Commission.

We did it!

“Save the Park House”Campaign Committee

Carolyn McHenry Elwess, ’71, Chair Jay C. Flaherty, ’71 Kathryn Phillips Hernandez, ’83 Wilford W. “Pete” Kale, ’71 Lenore Brownlee Kensett, ’48 (honorary committee member) Richard, ’73, and Susan Kensett McGaughey, ’74 Rosemary Fry Plakas, ’63 Nancy Rohlfing Potter, ’66 Phil and Carol Wheeler, both ’62

Park House was separated from the old foundation and then prepped for further moving.

Park House traveled up the hill to its new location.