Turnhalle
Lawrence, KS (Ongoing)
900 Rhode Island Street
Constructed in 1869, Turnhalle is a two-story example of Vernacular-style Midwest construction. The 9,412 square-foot masonry building was constructed with native limestone. The wood framed addition was added in 1882 with a limestone foundation matching the main hall. Turnhalle is one of the few surviving examples in the U.S. of a Turnverein, a German gymnastics club; it was used as a Turnverein until 1938 and owned by the Ernst family for 72 years. The Lawrence Preservation Alliance served as interim owner halting deterioration and stabilizing the structure. Turnhalle LLC purchased the building and will rehabilitate it utilizing state and federal tax credits.
The project will include an extensive rehabilitation; the main floor will be a performance venue, with a stage, seating area and bar. The second floor will have an office, box seats and storage. The basement will have a restaurant with a dining room, bar, and commercial kitchen. Nine accessible bathrooms will be added throughout the building. An addition will be added to the back of the building for a green room and other storage. The addition’s fenestration patterns compliment the historic building and it will be inset to not detract from the existing building. Rehabilitation will make the building code-compliant and handicap accessible, with structural and safety updates, and improved lighting.
The property is a contributing building in the North Rhode Island Street Historic Residential District. It received a Thematic Nomination as part of the Historic Resources of Lawrence from the Kansas Historical Society in 2001. Turnhalle is the most significant building of the German-American group that populated Lawrence, Kansas in the 19th century. It retains a high degree of architectural integrity and exemplifies a rich cultural past in Lawrence. Turnhalle is set to reopen following rehabilitation.
