Architect Louis S. Curtiss Was Considered ‘the Frank Lloyd Wright of Kansas City’
Not all buildings are still standing
The studio building of architect Louis Curtiss in Kansas City Missouri was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The three-story building was designed by Curtiss and built in downtown Kansas City in 1909. He also died there at his drafting table on June 24, 1924, near his 58th birthday. His studio was on the second floor and he lived on the third floor.
History
Curtiss was born in Belleville, Ontario on July 1, 1865. He emigrated to Kansas City in 1887. His career in Kansas City lasted for 37 years where he designed several buildings, hotels, and residences. He was considered eccentric and had a mysterious demeanor.
While often compared to Frank Lloyd Wright, he was much less disciplined than Wright in that his designs were highly eclectic; Curtiss was not afraid to throw multiple influences together. Like Wright, many of his early buildings were fairly conventional-looking. (Source.)
Only a small amount of his buildings survive today. A residence he designed located at 2204 Washington Boulevard in Kansas City, Kansas is very interesting inside. This home built in 1920–1921 is housed in the Westheight Manor Historic…
