501 N Main

Randall Building, 1911

Architect: C.W. Terry

General Contractor: F.C. Bordon.

NR KR

The Randall Building , built in 1911, is a large three-story Renaissance Revival building, clad in red brick and ornamented with white glazed terra cotta. An elaborate metal cornice tops the building. The architect for the building was C.W. Terry of Wichita.

In approximately 1873, the lot at 501 N Main was bought by John A. 'Jack' Randall from Jacob Batdorf who had purchased the land from the Newton Town Company in 1871.

By 1885, a substantial two story brick building with an elaborate metal cornice had been built.

Photo #1: 500 Block of Main, west side, 1885. Businesses, left to right: 501- Barnett & Foltz Implements; 501 1/2 Williams & White Land & Loan Co.; 505 barber shop; 507- lunch room; 509- Commercial Bank; 511- Malcom's drugs & jewelry; 511 1/2 Democrat newspaper; 513- dry goods; 517- dry goods; 519- Barnum & Co. dry goods and clothing.

This building burned in 1910 and was replaced by the current building.

John Randall & His Monument to Progress

In 1872/73, at the age of 28, John A. 'Jack' Randall came to Newton to find his fortune. Born in Nashport, Muskingum County, Ohio, he grew up on the family farm. Once in Newton, he established a connection with the Santa Fe Land Office, and later, the Muse & Spivey Lumber Co. and began buying and selling property in Harvey County.

Space in the Randall Building at 501 N. Main was rented to several businesses including Evans Bros Hardware, and B.H. Turner's Law Office. Several men also rented rooms on the second floor.

At about noon on a busy Saturday, F. G. Hensey, a plumber working for Evans Hardware in the back southwest corner of the building at 5th & Main, struck a match to light his pipe. "With the flash of the match came another flash, one which filed the room with flame." The entire block shook and a second explosion quickly followed blowing out windows. The fire department was on the scene quickly and "within a half an hour all danger of a serious fire was averted." Although badly burned, Hensey would recover from his injuries. It seemed a crisis had been adverted.

At four o'clock in morning the next day "one of the most threatening fires that has ever visited Newton in many years broke out." The early Sunday morning fire was discovered by Mrs. Irving Kendall who lived in the apartment above Kliewer Bros & Adair Clothing Store at 505 N Main.

The Evening Kansan Republican reporter described what happened. "A hurried investigation revealed the fact that the Randall building, the scene of Saturday's natural gas explosion, was a seething mass of flames. . . fire pouring from every rear north window of the building."

Several renters barely made it out of the burning building. Mrs. Kendall suffered the most injury from smoke inhalation. The heroic efforts of many kept the fire from spreading to the next building.

"The handsome building is a monument to the progress of the times, growing up as it did in the ashes of its predecessor, one of the pioneer buildings of the street, which was destroyed by fire." Evening Kansan Republican, 22 April 1911.

A little over a year later a beautiful new building stood at the corner of 5th & Main.

C.W. Terry from Wichita was the architect and F.C. Bordon, also of Wichita, was the general contractor. "The most elaborate building of its kind in Newton" cost $47,000.

The exterior featured "red pressed brick and white terra cotta trimming, three stories in height . . .Especially impressive is the heavy cornice which crowns the whole with beautiful effect, the white design contrasting artistically with the natural red body of color of the brick. The cornice is by far the most elaborate job of its kind in Newton and is the work a of a Newton firm."

The interior was also "spacious" and the editor of the paper noted that "Mr. Randall spared no price to make these offices most pleasant in appearance and complete in all particulars."

For 30 years J.A. Randall was an active participant in the growth of Newton and Harvey County through a variety of real estate ventures. He was also a stock holder in several Harvey County banks and the director of the Kansas State Bank beginning in 1902. At the time of his death in 1915 he was "well-known as one of the wealthiest men in the county."

Described as "a reticent man, with unassuming manner" Randall was well-respected in Harvey County. "Though a public spirited man, Mr. Randall never sought public office and was not even a member of any lodge or organization, but his prudent judgment of things of a public nature was sought by the citizens of Newton, and in all the projects he considered worthwhile he gave liberally."

Later in life, Randall purchased a ranch ten miles north of Burrton where "he spent much of his time looking after the many details of the farm and it was one of his pleasures to continue to make frequent trips to the ranch."

He died at his Burrton ranch unexpectedly on December 11, 1915.

Kristine Schmucker, Curator, Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives, published 01/06/2017, Voices of Harvey County