Inn At 425

The house, built in 1888 in the Queen Ann style, in the most fashionable neighborhood in Kansas City, was the home of Judge Stephen & Emeline Twiss. After their deaths, the home passed through several hands, and the neighborhood began to change with the building of Ward Parkway. It was no longer “the place to be “. By 1910 the house and gardens were purchased by investors who turned them into 7 apartments and built the 6 unit apartment to the north, on what had been Mrs. Twiss’s Rose garden. By the early 1980’s many Kansas citizens recognized the value of the historic architecture in the North East neighborhood and a renaissance began. The house was purchased by the first of three different families who worked on the restoration. The Roscoe’s removed all the false partition walls, the stucco additions to the exteriors, and opened the front porch, reroofed the house and carriage barn, and some electrical. The Keims became master stencilers. (front parlor, dining room and entry hall ceilings) They also restored all the plaster moldings and medallions. Michele Kiem created the wonderful stained glass in the entry hall doors. The current Inn Keepers, Carl Markus Jr & Stephan M Zweifler, became the proud owners in 1996. Their 18 year journey of restoration, started with all the electrical work, plumbing and HVACs. Then it was on to brick work (the three story chimney fell off the house the second month they lived there). The front porch decided to make an escape, as did the face of the carriage house! A new kitchen was created, and 4 bathrooms added. They re-plastered many rooms and recreated the main staircase with only pieces of the original to go by. Then came the fun stuff: paint, wallpaper, décor and the garden. None of which could have been accomplished without the help of our good friend and carpenter Anthony Bartlomi, who stuck with it for 18 years!