William Chick Scarritt Mansion Restoration

Kansas City, MO

Built in 1888, the Scarritt Mansion is Kansas City’s last remaining example of Chicago’s prominent architecture firm of the day – Burnham & Root.  In 1976, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places as the William Chick Scarritt Residence, and on the Kansas City Register of Historic Places in 1983 as part of the Scarritt Point Historic District.

In the fall of 2016, while extensive renovation and restoration work was being completed on all four floors of the residence, the attic caught fire and completely destroyed the roof and much of the interior.  But thanks to the commitment of a dedicated owner, the decision was made to again restore the house, rather than have it demolished. 

As experts in historic preservation, PWA was engaged as a matter of urgency to ensure the building was weather-tight as quickly as possible, and to complete plans for restoration of the roof.  Through the use of historic photographs, satellite imagery, field dimensions, and measurements taken from any remaining usable timbers, we were able to piece together and replicate the original roof construction.  Engineered wood trusses were used which made the installation both expedient and cost effective.

Structural Engineer: Steve Huey, PE, Wallace Design Collective.