The Heart of the Country Club Plaza

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1. Introduction to the History of Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza

The Country Club Plaza is the first planned, suburban shopping center in the United States and was constructed in the early 1920s by Kansas City real estate developer J. C. Nichols. A central figure in Kansas City’s history, Nichols shaped the city's landscape with several suburban construction projects, including this shopping center which was designed in a unified, Spanish architectural style and was created to be automobile friendly with wide roads and ample parking. Today, the plaza is Kansas City's premier shopping center, home to many luxury retail businesses, entertainment venues, restaurants, and offices. It is also notable for its annual Christmas light displays, a tradition dating back to 1925.

2. Mill Creek Building

Opening in March 1923, the Mill Creek Building (originally the Suydam Building) was the first building built for the Country Club Plaza. It was designed by the Plaza’s leading architect Edward Buehler Delk, echoing the charm from older, Spanish inspired Californian buildings with detailed accents. Original “CCP” branded medallions are still visible within the detailed bands. The building was originally named for one of its first tenants, the Suydam Decorating Company, and housed other businesses that offered goods and services that catered to the affluent patrons from surrounding Nichol’s developed neighbors and those arriving by car. The annual tradition of the Plaza Lights started here in 1925, when tenants of the building along with the Plaza’s leasing manager decided to decorate the sidewalks with small Christmas trees and a single strand of colored lights above a doorway. Today, the Mill Creek Building offers retail, business, and restaurant space.

3. Plaza Tower Building

Designed in 1923 by architect Edward Buehler Delk, the Plaza Tower Building was the first building on the Plaza to include a tower in its original design. It features Spanish inspired elements and the roof is crowned with a Flemish gable, adding architectural interest. Colorful tile and terracotta detail adorn the building's entrances and tower, including a tile that serves as Delk’s signature and several other tiles that occasionally arouse concern among area residents given their resemblance to a symbol that was utilized by fascists over a decade after the building’s construction (more detail below). As the Plaza began drawing business from downtown, Nichols strategically planned a unique mix of stores. The Tower Building opened with a woman’s dress and accessory shop, and within the same month other tenants included a hardware store, Ford auto agency, and an art gallery. It continues to house retail and restaurant space, and business offices on the upper level.

4. Triangle Building

One of three original structures to the Country Club Plaza, the Triangle Building was designed by Edward Delk and completed in 1923. Offering shops for everyday needs and services, its first occupant was a self-service Piggly Wiggly grocery store. In its first few months, the building gained multiple tenants before an additional unit was built the following year. As the Plaza became a destination for entertainment in addition to shopping, Clare Martin’s Jazz Club opened in 1938, bringing the first taste of jazz to the Plaza. Similar to other performance venues, white and African American musicians performed at Clare Martin's in front of an all-white audience. While the color line was strictly enforced throughout shopping districts like the Plaza until the start of the Civil Rights Movement, Kansas City was home to a small number of clubs that earned the nickname "Black and tan" because they open to all. The clock tower was built on the west side in 1992, staying true to the Plaza’s Spanish-inspired architecture and mimicking the tower of the Plaza Time Building. The Triangle building continues to be occupied by retail shops, offices, and restaurants. One of the central landmarks of the Plazza District, the Triangle Building remains an iconic landmark for both residents and visitors of Kansas City.

5. Neptune Fountain

The Neptune Fountain on the Plaza was brought to Kansas City in 1953 by Miller Nichols, son of Country Club Plaza developer J.C. Nichols. The fountain depicts Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, riding in a horse-drawn chariot. It was originally located on the Pennsylvania estate belonging to Alba B. Johnson, president of the Baldwin Locomotive Company from 1911 to 1935. Years after Johnson's death, the fountain was salvaged and purchased for it's weight in scrap metal by Nichols and set at this location on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City.

6. Wild Boar of Florence

The Wild Boar of Florence is a life-sized bronze statue depicting a mythological Greek boar that was cast using a plaster mold dating back to 1612. The original bronze statue, nicknamed il Porcellino (the small pig), was turned into a fountain and showcased in a public market in Florence, Italy in 1640. The fountain became a symbol of good luck as one would place a coin in his mouth and rub his snout. The statue at this site on the Country Club Plaza is one of the early replicas done by the foundry of Ferdinando Marinelli out of Florence and was brought to Kansas City by the Nichols family in 1962. It pays tribute to the traditions of il Porcellino while giving back to the community, as a plaque next to the statue reads, “With Good Fortune For Your Children And The Children of Mercy Hospital. Rub His Nose - Drop A Coin."

7. Balcony Building

Architect Edward Tanner employed the Plaza’s unified Spanish Revival design for the Balcony Building which was completed in 1925. As one might expect, the structure features a large balcony along the upper level on the east side, as well as two Spanish style towers, ornate terracotta detail, a clay tile roof, shaped parapets, and a highly decorative central gable with a large, carved face that makes this building distinguishable. Throughout the years, the building has served as retail and restaurant space at ground level while the upper level primarily contained business and doctors' offices. A few of its earlier tenants include Steve’s Shoes, Huff Secretarial School, and an emergency room that was operated by two physicians. In 2010, the Balcony Building was threatened with demolition for a new office building, but the historic structure was saved due to preservation efforts and city ordinances that were designed to preserve historic structures while maintaining a neighborhood's unique architecture.

8. Pool of Four Fauns

The Pool of Four Fauns (also known as the Four Fauns Fountain) was installed on the Country Club Plaza in 1928. The four bronze figures were reportedly 200 years old when purchased in Brindisi, Italy by John C. Taylor and were placed into a small rectangular fountain designed by J.C. Nichols Company. Originally installed near 47th and Broadway, the fountain was relocated to its current location in 1958 upon completion of the small courtyard. Due to theft of three of the four fauns in 1964, replicas were made of the existing figure and positioned in place of the originals. Each faun shoots water across the pool, creating a tranquil spattering for patrons to enjoy.

9. Allen Memorial Fountain

Allen Memorial Fountain was named in memory of the daughter and son-in-law of J.C. Nichols, Eleanor and Earl Allen who tragically died in a house fire on February 28, 1961. Both Eleanor and Earl worked for the Nichols company at one time and contributed to the success of the Plaza. This sentimental fountain is a tribute to motherhood and was imported from Italy and gifted to the Plaza by the couples' families in July 1962.

10. Boy and Frog Fountain

The Boy and Frog Fountain is an original piece crafted by Italian artist Raffaello Romanelli (1856-1928). It was purchased by John C. Taylor from Romanelli Studios in Florence, Italy in 1928. This whimsical fountain features a small marble basin with bronze figures of a frog shooting water at a nude boy. The basin is held up by a faun atop a dolphin and overflows into a round pool inlaid with pieces of colorful tile. It was installed on the Plaza in 1929 but has since been relocated from its original location.

11. The Plaza Theatre Building

The Plaza Theater opened in 1928, offering entertainment to the nation's first outdoor shopping district. Keeping with the Plaza’s overall theme, architect Edward Tanner designed the building using Spanish style elements, including elaborate detail along the roofline, around the arched windows and in the accompanying 72 foot tower. The detail continues to the interior with magnificent ceilings, decorative painted tile, and large carved wooden doors. The main foyer mimics a Spanish court, featuring a red tile floor, benches surrounding a fountain, and railed, second level balcony. Over the years, the theater presented award winning films, was the site for a series of performances sponsored by the Kansas City Music Club, and housed the Kansas City Philharmonic Orchestra. The theater closed in the spring of 1999 and the Restoration Hardware retail store renovated the interior before moving in later that year. The building is currently vacant, however, much of the original design is still visible and remains a significant landmark to the Country Club Plaza.

12. Fountain of Bacchus (Pan and the Nymphs Fountain)

The Fountain of Bacchus, historically known as the Pan and the Nymphs Fountain, depicts the ancient God surrounded by nymphs courting him in the garden. Weighing in at nearly five tons and standing 13 feet tall, the lead sculpture is centered in the fountain’s quatrefoil-shaped base with circular and bubbling water features surrounding it. The large work of art was designed by Walter Gilbert, founder of Bromsgrove Guild of Warwickshire, England in the mid 1910s for Moreton Paddox, the home of British Major Robert Emmet. It was purchased in 1960 by Miller Nichols but, due to its size, was stored in several pieces for many years. It was installed and dedicated to the Country Club Plaza in 1967.

13. The Giralda Tower

Constructed in 1967, The Giralda Tower is one of the most iconic structures on the Country Club Plaza. Standing at 138 feet tall and including a bell tower and weathervane, it is a nearly half-scaled model of The Giralda in Seville, Spain. After visiting Seville in 1922, Country Club Plaza developer J. C. Nichols had plans for an iconic tower but a location was never decided. Years later, Miller Nichols, son of J. C., brought the idea to life when a local landscaping company moved out of the corner of 47th and Nichols Road (now Mill Creek Parkway). The Giralda Tower was dedicated on October 12, 1967, as guests from both Kansas City and Seville attended, including Seville’s mayor Felix Morena de la Cova, who flipped the switch. This also marked the start of the relationship between Kansas City and Seville as Sister Cities, an international program started by President Eisenhower to promote peace. Giralda Tower is adjacent to retail space and a parking garage, and while it is easy to observe the tower from the street level, the tower itself is not open to the public.

14. Seville Light Fountain

Dedicated on October 12, 1967, this Kansas City fountain was a gift to the City of Fountains by Miller Nichols, son of Country Club Plaza developer J. C. Nichols. The fountain was created as a companion structure to the nearby Giralda Tower which was recently completed and also dedicated to honor the new relationship between Kansas City and Seville, Spain as Sister Cities. The fountain is an exact replica of la Fuente Farola, a fountain-lamppost in Seville's famous public district la Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes. Seville's La Giralda bell tower, the structure upon which Kansas City's Giralda Tower was modeled, is also located in this square. The fountain was carved from a variety of red and white marble, stands thirty feet tall, and features an iron lamppost on top. Water flows from the central base out through four Roman grotesque masks into scalloped basins before reaching its surrounding 20-foot reflection pool. It is one of many examples throughout the Plaza that encapsulates its Spanish inspiration.

15. Mill Creek Park Fountain

Mill Creek Park fountain (formerly known as the J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain) was brought from New York to Kansas City in 1951 by the Nichols family and is now one of the 48 city-owned fountains. The ornate fountain was designed and cast in France in 1910 for New York financier and telegraph mogul Clarence Mackay who was also a leading collector of fine art and Renaissance armor. The cast bronze fountain features four horsemen, representing the world’s four mightiest rivers, surrounded by four smaller sculptures of children playing on fish. One of these small fish sculptures had been sold prior to the demolition of Mackay's estate in 1947, so a replica of the fish was commissioned so that the fountain would match its original appearance when it arrived in Kansas City. The fountain was refurbished, installed, and dedicated to J. C. Nichols in 1960. The missing fish was eventually found and installed in a 2014 renovation. In recent years, city leaders have begun a process of recognizing the influence of J.C. Nichols in shaping the city in both positive and negative ways, including his use of racially restrictive covenants to bar African American and Jewish residents from his residential and commercial developments. In an effort to show that Kansas City parks are open to all, city leaders voted unanimously to rename the fountain on June 30, 2020.

This Tour is a Walking Tour.

The Heart of the Country Club Plaza

Created by Nichole Stahly on April 19th 2022, 4:42:05 pm.

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Description

This short walking tour takes patrons on a 6 block loop around the heart of the Country Club Plaza, including its origins and most iconic landmarks. The journey begins with the history of the renowned shopping district before starting at the Mill Creek Building, where construction first began in 1922. It concludes at Kansas City’s most photographed fountain, the Mill Creek Park Fountain, which was installed in 1960. A full-length thematic tour is available with an extended history of the Plaza’s development.

Entries on This Tour

The Heart of the Country Club Plaza

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