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Historic preservation is an arduous process that requires elaborate research and exacting craftsmanship. The restoration of the Kansas City Museum is no exception.

But it is exceptional that the architects who are designing the restoration of the Kansas City Museum are inundated with plans, blueprints and building components original to the building and archived beautifully by the R.A. Long family and Museum founders.



Elizabeth Amirahmadi, principal of International Architects Atelier of Kansas City, is the chief architect of the Kansas City Museum restoration, and she is delighted to have these original building documents.

“With these original drawings, we can restore it to its original intent,” Amirahmadi explains. “We’re finding original pieces – it’s remarkable how careful the museum outfitters were when they installed the original exhibits. They were very sensitive to the elements of the building.”

For insurance purposes, the Long family kept a register of contents – down to the silverware. These details were not lost on the current design team; in fact, these specific documents gave the architects wonderful insight into the Long family’s life and the early exhibits of the Museum.

Amirahmadi, whose firm consulted on the exterior masonry and roofing work completed on Corinthian Hall in 2007, is now tackling exterior doors and windows of this building and the carriage house.



Though Corinthian Hall is currently being outfitted with energy-efficient window systems, the aesthetic integrity of the building will not be lost. The team sent paint samples from the original window casings to an east-coast paint lab that specializes in historic paint color analysis. Ultimately, R.A. Long’s specific color scheme will be replicated exactly during the restoration process.

According to the architects, precise details in restoration activities are critical to the building’s architectural integrity because they secure Corinthian Hall’s place in Kansas City history.

“This was the grandest residence in Kansas City,” says Amirahmadi. “Mr. Long was a visionary, and it would be a disgrace to lose this building. There is no other like it in Kansas City.”



Kyle Gregory, project architect with IAA, knows first-hand the grandiose nature of Corinthian Hall and the entire Long estate. He conducted site investigations and artifacts research throughout the estate, and in off-site caves where building materials had been stored for decades.

In the attic of Corinthian Hall, Gregory found a great deal of original building components, including light fixtures and door hardware. In the caves, he found pieces of moulding and fireplace mantels. For any historic researcher, discovering original wood paneling with decorative carvings still intact is a great find.

At Longview Farm, Gregory found some of the same materials from the original Corinthian Hall living room had been reinstalled there, such as the painted beam ceiling and wainscoting.

“This is an area where we’re truly fortunate,” Gregory explains. “We found 50 copies of the original drawings with details of stone carvings and specifics about wood stains. It helped us to identify what artifacts were truly important.

“It’s like having an instruction manual for the restoration.”