Discover National Register of Historic Places sites in Topeka

If you love history, there is nothing like standing in a place with historical importance. Whether it’s the house of someone who contributed something to history, or a building that saw and withstood decades of change, these places give us a sense of truly being back in time. Both the National Register of Historic Places and the Register of Historic Kansas Places seek to preserve these sites. 

Protecting America’s historic resources 

Buildings and properties listed on the National Register are eligible to receive a brass plaque denoting their status.

The National Register of Historic Places was authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 to “coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archaeological resources.” For a property to be listed on the National Register, it must meet at least one of four eligibility criteria, all of which relate to the significance of the property’s history and/or architecture. It also must be at least 50 years old and still retain its historic appearance.   

The State of Kansas has its own Register of Historic Places, which was established in 1977 and is handled through the State Historic Preservation Office. The state register has similar criteria a property must meet before being listed, but it is more open to interpretation than at the national level. 

As of December 2023, 105 properties in Shawnee County are on the National Register and 112 are listed on the Register of Historic Kansas Places, with 103 in Topeka proper. 

The National Register doesn’t just include historic homes. Historic cemeteries, neighborhoods and public buildings are all eligible for a place on the list. For historians, the nomination forms for the National Register can be a wealth of information, both about the history of a property and those associated with it. I'm highlighting three Shawnee County properties using information from their National Register nomination forms. 

Ritchie Cemetery – listed January 4, 2023 

This sign is one of the few things that denote the area as a cemetery (TSCPL)

A suburban neighborhood is not where we usually find a cemetery, but the historic Ritchie Cemetery is located in a neighborhood at the corner of 27th and Boswell. While its first burials took place when Kansas was still a territory, the period of significance for Ritchie Cemetery (as identified in the nomination form) is from 1885 to 1941, when the cemetery was predominantly used by Topeka’s African American population.  

John Ritchie, a staunch abolitionist and advocate for equal rights, allocated what was essentially his family burial ground for use by the growing African American community. Ritchie made the cemetery “a last resting place free to all desiring to avail themselves of its benefits.” Over the next 70 years, the cemetery became the final home to many prominent African American citizens from Topeka, several of whom had been members of the Exoduster movement. The last burial occurred in 1955. 

In 1962 the City of Topeka declared the Ritchie Cemetery officially abandoned, much to the chagrin of the family members of those who had been buried there. In 2000 the City of Topeka took ownership of the property and had it maintained by the City Forester. Around this same time, a monument was placed in the cemetery to recognize the four Spanish American War veterans buried on the property. Two local historians compiled a list of those they believed to be buried in the cemetery and, as of 2021, had more than 300 names.  

One of the few remaining markers at the Ritchie Cemetery is for Martha Ransom, the great-grandmother of John J. Scott, one of the many freed slaves who relocated to Topeka (TSCPL)

This 3.74 acre burial ground is listed on the National Register and on the Kansas Register because of its being an example of a rural or neighborhood cemetery and for its strong ties to the African American community and its history in Topeka. 

Santa Fe Hospital – listed October 11, 2016 

The 6th street view of the Santa Fe Hospital building. This section was part of the original "new" building built in 1930 (TSCPL).

In a time before employer-subsidized healthcare, the Santa Fe railroad blazed a trail by offering a subscription health service to its employees. It was administered by the Santa Fe Railway Employees Association and it covered all medical care. Ex-employees and family members were excluded. Any “protracted injury or sickness” had to be treated in one of Santa Fe’s hospitals.   

By the late 1880s Topeka had become the hub for the Santa Fe railroad, housing its administrative offices and the mechanical shops. The first Santa Fe Hospital in Topeka was established in 1896 to serve the medical needs of the growing number of Santa Fe’s employees. It was owned and operated by the Santa Fe Hospital Association, which oversaw all the company’s hospitals and represented “one of Santa Fe’s industry-leading employee benefits.” The needs of the Santa Fe workers soon outgrew the hospital. In 1930 a new building was constructed next to the old facility.   

The Santa Fe Railroad logo can still be seen above the main window that faces 6th Street (TSCPL).

During the following 40 years Santa Fe built a new addition to the Topeka hospital every decade. This was to accommodate advancements in medical technology as well as new services, such as outpatient clinics and long-term care facilities. In 1966 Santa Fe Hospital became a public hospital mostly in reaction to the passage of Medicare and the need for more medical facilities. The name was changed to Memorial Hospital and patient numbers dropped when Santa Fe no longer required employees to be treated at their facilities. Memorial Hospital filed for bankruptcy and closed in 1989. 

The Santa Fe Hospital complex is now predominantly low-income housing and is listed on both the National and State Register due to its being the largest of the Santa Fe hospitals as well as its significance in the history of Topeka. 

Nelson Antrim Crawford House – listed October 24, 2017 

The Nelson Antrim Crawford house's International style is typified by the flat roofs and the large glass block front (TSCPL).

Among the Tudor Revival and Bungalow/Craftsman-style homes of College Hill, the Nelson Antrim Crawford house really stands out. It is Topeka’s only known international style home, which is characterized by flat roofs, asymmetrical forms, merged corner windows, and construction materials such as glass blocks, concrete and steel. The two-story home at the corner of 17th and Plass was built in 1938 for Nelson Antrim Crawford, a journalist, editor and educator who lived at the house until his death in 1963.  

Crawford first came to Kansas to attend the University of Kansas. After graduating with his master's degree, Crawford became an Associate Professor of English and Journalism at Kansas State University. He served as the managing editor for the school’s first newspaper, the Kansas Industrialist, and wrote the first college textbook on journalism ethics. In 1928 Crawford moved to Topeka to become the editor-in-chief of Household Magazine, which was published by Capper Publications. He also became friends with Dr. Karl Menninger and co-edited Menninger’s The Healthy Minded Child.  

In 1937 Crawford purchased three lots at 17th and Plass and began working with architect Floyd Orson Wolfenbarger to design a home. It is believed Crawford’s design was inspired by the 1936 Contemporary House showcased at the Dallas Centennial Exposition. Like the Contemporary House the Nelson Antrim Crawford home gives residents the feeling of outdoor living, while still maintaining warmth in the winter and cool in the summer. 

The Crawford house is listed on both the National and State Register for its architectural significance to Topeka. It is also stated to be “the resource best associated with Nelson Crawford during his lifetime.” 

Learn more about the National Historic Register process

If you are interested in learning more about the National Register, how to list a property, or how to take care of your historic home, please join us at our three programs on historic preservation cohosted by the Shawnee County Historical Society. 

• Introduction to Historic Preservation | Mon, Dec 16 | 6-7pm | Learning Center
• Listing on the National Register | Mon, Jan 13 | 6-7pm | Learning Center
• Nuts & bolts of owning an historic property | Mon, Feb 10 | 6-7pm | Learning Center