Photo, c. 1887 of the Finlay Ross home at 821 North Waco Avenue in Wichita, KS. This residence is confirmed to have been built by William Henry Sternberg (1832 – 1906) and many of
Sternberg’s design influences can be seen in this home. Sternberg was the leading designer and builder of fine homes such as this one in the Wichita area in the last quarter century of the 1800s. Finlay Ross was a prominent businessman in Wichita and later on became Mayor of Wichita during which time he established Riverside Park – ever popular today. While headquartered in Wichita KS, Sternberg did branch out and build fine homes and buildings throughout southern Kansas and Missouri. To wit, in the late 1800s, Sternberg built the original limestone City Hall in Springfield MO (now the Greene County Historical Museum), still standing today and on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sternberg was a highly skilled and popular builder during Wichita’s boom years of the 1870s and 1880s. Mr. Sternberg came to Kansas from New York in 1875. He grew up on a family farm in Norwich, New York helping his father in the family saw mill, felling and hauling trees, cutting lumber, woodworking and working as a carpenter on local homes and buildings. As years passed and Sternberg continued working as a contractor and a carpenter, his skills in building grew and he became well-known throughout New York State for his elegant and innovative building designs, his integrity, work quality and prudent approach to costs. People far and wide knew of his reputation for quality and knew him as a fair man in his dealings with customers. Partly as a result of his reputation for being a fair and honest man, he was elected Mayor of Norwich for a period of several years. Although comfortable with his life in New York, Mr. Sternberg increasingly heard about Wichita, Kansas ~ a rapidly growing nucleus on the plains. Indeed the growth bubble (from the late 1870’s until about 1890) was so significant that Wichita was by some estimates the fastest growing city in the country. At one point, the absolute value of real estate transactions in Wichita ranked it the third highest in the nation in terms of dollars transacted. This was behind only New York City and Kansas City! People were speculating on land and buildings and making handsome profits in return.
“In the first five months of 1887 real estate transactions
totaled $34,893,565 according to Dunn and Bradstreet’s
reports. Wichita was third in the nation in total real estate
transactions. Only New York and Kansas City were ahead
of Wichita (in terms of volume). Chicago was fourth having
$33,173,950 in transactions.”
However… in terms of the dollar value PER CAPITA (dollars per person), Wichita was first in the nation for a period of several years in the mid-late 1880s. New York and Kansas City had much larger populations than Wichita to produce a higher absolute volume of real estate transactions. But their dollar volumes per capita were in fact lower than Wichita, KS. With its new found wealth, Wichita was progressive in its early days and news of its budding wealth traveled the country. Evidence of its progressive spirit was noted with much fanfare on May 23, 1873 when Wichita’s first regularly-scheduled electrified street cars (trolley cars) began shuttling people between the bustling downtown and the outskirts of the city. Three years later, Wichita installed several hundred nighttime electric street lamps throughout downtown, while still retaining some of its existing gas and “vapor” lamps. And in the Spring of 1883, Wichita’s new underground water system with 60 fire hydrants spread throughout the City was tested, on-line and ready-to-go. One of the things Wichita did with this wealth is invest in public systems and buildings to the tune of over ten million dollars per year in some years in the 1880s. This was W.H. Sternberg’s hey-day. Impressive buildings were going up… literally as fast as they could possibly build. Between July 1, 1886 and June 30, 1887 almost 3,000 new completed structures were erected in Wichita and all of this with a population of only about 12,000.
Spying an opportunity for building, Mr. Sternberg moved his family to Wichita in 1875 and after only a few months, was successfully bidding contracts, hiring workers and constructing buildings at a frenzied pace. The economic bubble of Wichita in the 1880s was perhaps the most dynamic growth spurt of any city in American history. Wealth sprung up practically overnight and people such as: C.N. Lewis, Albert. W. Oliver (Businessman), Aaron Katz (Merchant), Mark J. Oliver (Atty), Hiram Imboden (Businessman), M.W. Levy (Bank President), Peter Getto (Capitalist), Reuben H. Roys (Atty), Finlay Ross (Mayor & Businessman), William H. Whitman, Jacob Henry Aley (Businessman), Robert E. Gutherie, J.R. Van Zandt (prominent businessman), George Pratt (lumber baron), Charles W. Bitting (prominent Businessman), Alfred W. Bitting (Prominent Businessman), Judge James L. Dyer (Judge), Charles M Jones, Dr. G.E. McAdams (physician), Capt. Charles Smyth, Dr. J. Russell (physician), Kos Harris (Atty), William Greiffenstein (Mayor), Russell Harding (Railroad Superintendent), Ben Aldrich (Mayor & prominent businessman) and many others… displayed their newly found wealth by building palatial mansions of the highest quality and most extraordinary craftsmanship. When Wichita’s well-to-do wanted homes or buildings, W.H. Sternberg was the builder of choice by a wide margin. The 1888 book, Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kansas (Chapman Brothers; Chicago, 1888) in which Sternberg is noted states about him,
“Ninety brick stores in Wichita stand as monuments of
his skill and industry, besides numberless other
buildings, probably twice as many as have been put
up by any other contractor in the city.”
Not long after coming to Wichita, Mr. Sternberg used a marketing approach – common today, but relatively unheard of at the time, called a “spec home”. The spec home he built was his own home and it was a huge 7,500 sq. ft. showcase home that contained virtually every ornamental and stylish feature that he and his crews could muster. He located his home on the most elite street in Wichita at the time ~ Waco Avenue ("Waco Street" as it was then and "Waco Avenue" as it was to become). Before Waco became the “elite street” of Wichita, city planners named it “Waco Street”. As elegant mansions continued to appear on Waco, property owners in this well-dressed district became dissatisfied with the designation of “Street” and so local residents petitioned the City to officially have the name changed to “Avenue” to be more in keeping with the fashionable tone of the neighborhood. Today, the official name of Waco is still "Waco Avenue". Mr. Sternberg reckoned that showcasing the capabilities and ornate building skills of the construction trade would draw customers to him, and it proved to be a very successful technique. Even back in 1886 when he completed his Victorian gingerbread mansion people acknowledged it was something extraordinary. His worthy showcase mansion was written up in the newspapers as well as the 1888 Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick, County, Kansas as follows,
“The residence of Mr. Sternberg, a handsome and costly structure,
is beautifully located on a rise of ground commanding a fine view
of its surroundings. Within and without it bears the evidence of
refined tastes and ample means, and it is universally admired
by all who have occasion to pass it.”
Even before the Sternberg’s mansion was finished, people were remarking about it as the September 6, 1886 edition of the Wichita Beacon commented,
“Mr. Sternberg is building for his own use a fine residence
on the corner of 10th and Waco Streets. Judging by the
foundation it will be one of the largest and finest in the city.”
Within weeks after finishing his home at 1065 North Waco Avenue, Mr. Sternberg was flooded with requests to build other fine mansions for Wichita’s “polite society”. And in 1887 and 1888, Sternberg and his crews built first-class mansions and buildings all over Wichita as quickly as they could. Sternberg was one of the largest employers in Wichita with a skilled crew of approximately 40 full-time persons working at various locations.
Sternberg set precedence in building design at a time when style and social status was everything and people had the money (and the willingness) to express it. Sternberg (unlike other builders of the day) built custom features into his homes that allowed the occupants to enjoy their home more. In addition to an extensive use of smaller more intimate porches in his homes and particularly romantic highly corbelled chimney flues, Sternberg was also the first builder in Wichita to construct a very practical laundry chute into a home (the first home in Wichita to have a laundry chute was the Pratt house at 1313 North Emporia). The idea of such a feature so that people didn’t have to climb up and down stairs was new and unheard of in 1887, but Sternberg believed a home should be both beautiful and comfortable. It was new and trend-setting features such laundry chutes, ornate porches and his ability to create exceptional milled gingerbread work that brought acclaim and respect to Sternberg. Other builders simply didn’t offer such features, and most didn’t have the expertise to do so. In New York state where Sternberg grew up and worked for many years before coming to Wichita, he is credited with being the first person to build a Mansard-style roof. The concept was made popular at the 1850’s World’s Fair in Paris . A mansard roof is a French style that allows more unencumbered space on the attic level than a traditional pitched roof does. Although not an architect by training, Sternberg often had considerable input into the design and layout of the homes he built. Many of his customers, unaware of the need for an architect at the time when deciding to building a house, would contact Sternberg first when they wanted to build and then it was Sternberg who would usually contact an architect of his choice and advise the architect on what the home-owner wanted and could afford. Sternberg was the first recorded builder to use an “outside” (New York) architect purely for style and design in upscale an upscale Wichita residence. That residence designed by both Stanford White and William Sternberg and built by Sternberg was the Charles R. Miller residence at 509 S. Lawrence Rd (now Broadway). Miller affectionately chistened the home, "Lyndhurst". Stanford White although building a national reputation would a few years later would receive national acclaim for his designs including Madison Square Garden in New York and homes for the ultra wealthy in Newport RI and New York. The design and construction of this Sternberg-built home that Stanford White-designed was eye-catching and charming to Wichitans of the day and the local Wichita Beacon in April 18, 1883 commented about the house,
“It will be of brick, 40 x 44 feet in area, with basement
eight feet, two stories above that, and a ten foot mansard
attic. The basement will be used for a steam heater,
laundry, coal, etc. The facades will be broken by swells,
bay windows and porches. It will be one of the finest
in southern Kansas.”
Obviously, Sternberg felt that for some exceptional projects, local architects were not up to the task, and Sternberg liked the press attention. What’s more and another “first” for Sternberg is that he was the only builder during the 1870s-1880s working in Wichita to have also built major public and private buildings in at least two other states. In addition, he’s the only builder during Wichita’s boom period to have his works from three states (Kansas Missouri and New York) listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Additionally his 30 years of experience in the lumber business grading qualities of woods and knowing the particular characteristics of various woods allowed Sternberg to build with exceptional quality. Arguably he was the highest quality builder and most highly skilled builder of the day in Wichita. An article from November 2, 1969 in the Eagle-Beacon newspaper noted the quality of the Sternberg Mansion,
“It was built to last with joists
of 2 by 8-inch timbers, and wood-
work of pine so hard it will not take
a regular nail and one interior
wall that is 15 inches thick.”
In all W. H. Sternberg built well over 100 buildings and homes in Wichita alone after coming in 1875. Other homes and buildings he is known to have built before coming to Wichita include: (1) the Methodist Church in Guilford, New York, (2) the Chenango County Poor House in Norwich, New York, (3) the Methodist Episcopal Church in Norwich, New York at a cost of $47,000, he later completed the beautiful case inside this church for the church organ, (4) the residence of Charles Merritt in Norwich, New York at a cost of $35,000, (5) the store of John O. Hill & Co. at a cost of $23,000, (6) the residence of Warren Newton in New York and (7) “an elegant mansion for himself” which had the first mansard roof in the town.
Mr. Sternberg was a remarkable man. In 1888, Chapman Brothers in Chicago, Illinois printed an expensive first-class volume of notable persons in Sedgwick County, Kansas ~ a sort of “Who’s Who” of the time. The book, entitled “Portrait and Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.” Contained “Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County together with Portraits and biographies of all the governors of Kansas, and of the Presidents of the United States.” Mr. Sternberg is listed on pages 190 – 191 in the Album. His biography notes:
“William H. Sternberg, who is one of the prominent citizens
of Wichita, arrived here in time to assist in the building up of
the town, the growth of which has been phenomenal. He has
been one of the most interested witnesses of its progress
and development, and no unimportant factor in bringing it to
its present proud position. As a man of influence, public
spirit and liberal, this brief record of his history will be more
than ordinarily interesting to those who are identified in any
way with the business or industrial interests of one of the
leading cities of the West.”
In addition the biography noted that,
“Ninety brick stores in Wichita stand as monuments of
his skill and industry, besides numberless other
buildings, probably twice as many as have been
put up by any other contractor in the city.”
And as always, whatever the job, W. H. Sternberg was noted for work of the finest quality and expertise. Mr. Sternberg had a reputation for only hiring the best workers which sometimes was hard to do as the building boom created quite a shortage of workers, never-the-less, he was known for the fact that he and “his workmen should be persons of the highest skill and reliability.” In 1888, just two years after Sternberg personally built and constructed his own “showcase” mansion for himself, it was written up in the Portrait and Biographical Album as though it was undeniably a special residence in Wichita . . . .
“The residence of Mr. Sternberg, a handsome and costly
structure is beautifully located on a rise of ground
commanding a fine view of its surroundings. Within and
without it bears the evidence of refined tastes and ample
means, and is universally admired by all who have
occasion to pass it.”
Today, historical authorities who know the Sternberg Mansion lay accolades on it for its style, its authentic representation of Victorian influence, its extreme ornamentation and its first-rate quality throughout. It has appeared in numerous books, magazines and approximately 30 different newspaper articles over the past 125 years. The following is an excerpt from the City of Wichita’s Historic Landmark website (www.wichitagov.org/Residents/History/Listing51-60) about the Sternberg Mansion:
“William H. Sternberg, a prominent builder during Wichita’s
economic boom days of the 1880’s built his own resi-
dence in 1886, incorporating the Victorian penchant
for "gingerbread" millwork with this extravagantly gabled
Queen Anne-styled home. This house is one of a few
remaining homes of this elaborate style in the city and
is regarded as a quintessential product of the late
Queen Anne residential design and stylistic features.
From its native stone foundation to the four corbelled
brick chimneys with their decorative flues, the house
served as a showcase for the builder’s trade including
colored glass window panes, stained glass windows in
the ornate stairway, several fireplaces and combination
gas/electric chandeliers. The two and one-half story
residence also has porches projecting from each of
the three main elevations.”
A quote in the Wichita Eagle-Beacon from Wichita’s Historic Preservation Officer, Marian Cone on April 10, 1977 stated about the mansion,
“The Sternberg Mansion…is unusual in that its
eclectic style incorporates all the elements Stern-
berg could fabricate…Sternberg used his own
home as a sort of ‘model home,’ a tangible ex-
ample of his expertise for prospective customers…
it is the only remaining Queen Anne-style man-
sion of its size in the city and it is a magnificent
example of architecture…The use of exterior
wood in patterns is most unusual as are the var-
iations of the use of colored and plain glass.
The leaded and stained glass windows on the
landing of the very ornate staircase are most
unusual in that they are of a geometric pattern
not common until the 1920s.”
Yet another article about the Sternberg Mansion in the Eagle-Beacon in November 16, 1976 states,
“The house, built in 1886 by William H. Stern-
berg, one of Wichita’s foremost builders during
the city’s early boom days, is the only remaining
Queen Anne style mansion of this size in the city.
It is seen as a magnificent example of Victorian
architecture, with most of the original detailing
and gingerbread on the exterior, a large walnut
staircase, wood paneling, and four fireplaces.”
And Mr. Sternberg located his first-rate mansion in Wichita’s finest district at the time (on Waco Avenue). Yet another article appearing in the Wichita Evening Eagle on August 3, 1933 comments,
“in the early ‘70s (1870s)…Waco avenue was
‘the elite’ street. Waco avenue in the very early
day was considered to be the best residential street
and many believed that when the city grew large it
would be the choice residence district of the city.”
Indeed, W. H. Sternberg was an extraordinary person in Wichita at a time when the rest of the country was curiously taking note of this fast-growing prairie town. His work as a contractor, his involvement in civic groups, his reputation for doing the highest quality work possible, his reputation for being hard-working and fair to all, his diligence to hire only the most highly skilled workers, his generosity to lesser causes and his pioneering ideas in building style and function bestowed to the people of Wichita and beyond an authentic Victorian legacy to be enjoyed by all for generations to come.
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