The History of College Hill
By Debra Guiou Stufflebean
The history of the College Hill neighborhood is
interconnected with the history of Washburn
University, creating a bond
between its residents and the school that continues today. Lincoln College (est. 1865) was renamed
Washburn College in 1868, in recognition of a $25,000 donation by Ichabod
Washburn, a church deacon and resident of Worcester, Massachusetts. Washburn relocated from the corner of 10th
and Jackson to
its present site at 17th and Washburn in 1874. The new campus was a gift of 160 acres of
farm land from John Ritchie. A pressing
issue for the college administrators, however, was that the relocation would
put the school one mile outside of the city limits of Topeka, away from housing and
transportation. Looking to the future,
these visionaries felt up to the challenge.
Dr. Peter McVicar, President, authorized the purchase of
land north of the college for a residential district that would serve a
two-fold purpose: 1) attracting faculty for the school and 2) boarding opportunities
for students. The earliest acquisition
was land between 15th and 17th (then Euclide Avenue), a plat dated Nov. 5,
1880 that included both sides of College
Avenue and the east side of Boswell Avenue. The name, “College Hill,” was decided by
Ritchie who pointed out that he could see an upward rise from his farm at 10th
and Kansas. In fact, Washburn’s campus is about forty
feet higher than downtown Topeka,
or approximately the height of a 4-story building. Over time, contiguous plats expanded the
residential area which is today known as the College Hill neighborhood. The perimeter is the west side of Washburn Avenue, south
side of Huntoon Street, west
side of MacVicar Avenue,
and the north side of 17th
Street.
Transportation was addressed when the city established a
mule-drawn street car line to the school which was later replaced by the
electric trolley in 1890. College Avenue is one of the widest residential
streets in Topeka
due to the inclusion of trolley tracks down the center. The new modern transportation system that
started at the Santa Fe stations and ended at
the entrance of Washburn
University on College Avenue
brought a boon to the College Hill neighborhood.
Dr. McVicar initiated a campaign for planting trees on
campus and throughout the College Hill neighborhood. The goal was to plant as many varieties of
trees as possible; those indigenous to Kansas
and species from neighboring states. To
this day, pedestrians can enjoy a botanical education walking through the
neighborhood and inroads on campus. Some
trees were lost during the tornado of 1966 but there are still many elms,
hackberries, cedar and catalpa trees that date back to the 1880’s. Thanks to
the initiative of neighborhood residents, and a subsequent campus tree planting
project by Washburn President, Dr. Jerry Farley, this primary characteristic of
the area will continue for years to come.
The trees weren’t the only diverse aspects of the
neighborhood. A variety of architectural
styles originated around the turn of a new century. Examples of Queen Anne’s and Folk Victorian’s
co-exist along side of styles from the Arts & Crafts Movement that
celebrated nature and the environment.
These styles included American Foursquare, Prairie, Mission, Shingle, and Craftsman Bungalows.
Technological advances led to mass production of decorative architectural moldings
and the resurgence of Revival styles: Neoclassical, Greek, Colonial, Georgian,
Dutch Colonial, and Tudor. With the machine age also came non-traditional
styles such as Art Moderne, and later, the Ranch. Over sixteen different examples of
architecture are found in College Hill, ranging from the International Style home
on 17th Street
to the Cotswold Cottage on MacVicar .
Consistent with a college community, early College Hill
residents were free thinkers, educated, and valued other perspectives. Many left a legacy in Topeka,
the state of Kansas,
and beyond. Judges, professors,
physicians, writers, civic leaders, lawyers, architects, artists, and ministers
put down roots in College Hill and have descendants that call College Hill home
still today. The Wall of Fame in Boswell Square was
built as a memorial to these individuals. Each year, second Sunday in October,
the neighborhood puts out the welcome mat during the Wall of Fame Celebration
where recognition is given to former residents and historic homes are toured.
In 2001, the College Hill Nautilus Club (est. 1894) was awarded the Historic
Preservation Award by Historic Topeka for spearheading the Wall of Fame
project.
Efforts are underway to achieve Historic District
designation for the entire College Hill neighborhood. A starting point has began with the
distinction of College Avenue, the original trolley route, and the homes on both
sides being put on the Historic Registry by the Kansas State Historical Society
in 2007. The City of Topeka has committed to restoring the
original brick street.
Every neighborhood has an identity, a theme that brings
recognition. Oddly, the one common
characteristic appears to be “diversity,” a word for differences. College Hill is a neighborhood of diverse
people from different occupational and economic backgrounds; who value and
freely debate different ideas; live in homes from many architectural styles
canopied by a variety of trees, who choose to live together as good neighbors.
To learn more about the history of Washburn University,
follow this link:
