Specialty Homes · Missouri & Kansas
Historic Homes in the Kansas City Area
The Kansas City area has historic districts with Victorian, Prairie and Craftsman homes, old courthouse squares and early 1900s neighborhoods. Owning a home in a district can bring design review and possible tax credits. Here are local districts, the rules for exterior work, and what to inspect in an older home.
On this page:
- Historic districts and older neighborhoods
- Review rules for exterior changes
- Missouri and Kansas historic tax credits
- Older-home inspection checklist
Historic districts and older neighborhoods
Harrisonville Courthouse Square Historic District
Harrisonville · Cass County, MO
Listed on the National Register on April 8, 1994, covering the Courthouse Square and nearby side streets.
Source: National Park Service NPGallery
Jewell-Lightburne District
Liberty · Clay County, MO
A National Register district that runs east from Liberty Square to William Jewell College, with Queen Anne, Georgian and Tudor Revival homes.
Source: City of Liberty
Dougherty-Prospect Heights District
Liberty · Clay County, MO
A National Register district west of the Square with late 1800s and early 1900s houses and some of Liberty's best Prairie and Craftsman examples.
Source: City of Liberty
Arthur-Leonard District
Liberty · Clay County, MO
A National Register district on Leonard Street at Arthur Street, known for large homes set back from the street.
Source: City of Liberty
Harry S Truman Historic District
Independence · Jackson County, MO
A 153-acre National Historic Landmark district around the Truman home in Independence.
Source: National Park Service
Lee's Summit Downtown Historic District
Lee's Summit · Jackson County, MO
Listed on the National Register in 2005, with Italianate and Moderne buildings.
Source: National Park Service NPGallery
Northeast Green and 1st Streets Residential Historic District
Lee's Summit · Jackson County, MO
A residential National Register district listed in 2008, roughly bounded by NE Douglas, Maple, 1st and NE Johnson streets, with Prairie School and Craftsman homes.
Source: National Park Service NPGallery
South Hyde Park Historic District
Kansas City · Jackson County, MO
Listed on the National Register on Nov. 14, 2007. It runs from E. 39th St. to Brush Creek between Gillham and Troost, with buildings from 1885 to 1939.
Source: Open Data KC
Old Neighborhoods Historic District
Lexington · Lafayette County, MO
Listed on the National Register in 1983, with homes in Mid-19th Century Revival, Late Victorian and later revival styles.
Source: National Park Service NPGallery
Commercial Community Historic District
Lexington · Lafayette County, MO
Lexington's downtown district, listed on the National Register on Aug. 4, 1983, with Late Victorian and Gothic Revival buildings.
Source: National Park Service NPGallery
Westheight Manor Historic District
Kansas City · Wyandotte County, KS
A National Register district (1975, expanded 1982) between N. 18th and N. 25th streets from State Avenue to Wood Avenue.
Hanover Heights Historic District
Kansas City · Wyandotte County, KS
Listed on the National Register in 1990, between State Line Road and Rainbow Boulevard from Olathe Boulevard to W. 43rd Avenue.
Parkwood Historic District
Kansas City · Wyandotte County, KS
A Kansas City, Kansas historic district designated in 1988, from N. 9th to N. 11th streets between Quindaro Boulevard and Brown Avenue.
Strawberry Hill
Kansas City · Wyandotte County, KS
A historic neighborhood just south of downtown KCK, covered by a 2012 cultural resource survey. The Strawberry Hill Museum at 720 N. 4th St. is a city historic landmark.
Lake of the Forest Historic District
Bonner Springs · Wyandotte County, KS
Listed on the National Register in 1996, on K-32 Highway west of Edwardsville.
Related city guides: Independence · Lexington · Liberty · Lee's Summit · Harrisonville · Kansas City, MO · Kansas City, KS · Bonner Springs
Review rules for exterior changes
Local historic districts usually review exterior changes before a building permit is issued. National Register listing alone often doesn't bring local review, so check which list a home is on.
Selling a home in a district doesn't usually need approval. The review applies to work like new windows, roofing, porches, fences, additions and demolition.
- Kansas City, Missouri: Properties on the Kansas City Register need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission for exterior changes visible from the street before a building permit is issued. The commission doesn't review properties listed only on the National Register.
- Kansas City, Missouri: Use the city's "Is It Historic?" map to check whether an address is on the Kansas City Register.
- Liberty: Exterior changes, new construction and demolition in local historic districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Review Commission. Applications are free and due 10 business days before a meeting.
- Liberty: The commission doesn't review interior work or paint color, and it doesn't allow wholesale replacement of original wood windows.
- Kansas City, Kansas: Work on a historic property, or within 200 feet of one, may need local and state review before permits. A Certificate of Appropriateness takes about 60 days.
Sources: City of Kansas City, MO Historic Preservation Office · KCMO Historic Design Review · City of Liberty: Historic Preservation · City of Liberty: Historic Preservation FAQs · Unified Government Historic Preservation
Related city guides: Kansas City, MO · Liberty · Kansas City, KS
Missouri and Kansas historic tax credits
Both states offer state income tax credits for approved rehab work on certified historic buildings. The rules are detailed, so talk to the State Historic Preservation Office and a CPA before you start any work.
- Missouri: The Historic Preservation Tax Credit equals 25% of qualified rehab costs, or 35% outside Kansas City and St. Louis City for projects without low-income housing credits. Rehab costs must be more than 50% of what was paid for the property.
- Missouri: The program covers commercial and residential historic structures that are certified historic structures.
- Kansas: Starting July 1, 2025, the state credit is 40% of qualified costs for eligible projects in communities under 50,000 people, or projects over $50,000 in larger communities.
- Kansas: The building must be on the State or National Register before you apply, you must apply before work starts, and qualified costs must be at least $5,000.
- Federal: The 20% federal credit is only for income-producing buildings, according to the Kansas Historical Society.
- In Liberty, the city notes that using vinyl will disqualify a home from state tax credit programs.
Sources: Missouri Department of Economic Development: Historic Preservation Tax Credit · Kansas Historical Society: State Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit · Kansas Historical Society: Tax Credit Basics · City of Liberty: Historic Preservation FAQs
Related city guides: Liberty · Kansas City, MO
Older-home inspection checklist
Older homes have great character, but some systems may be past their prime. Add these items to your inspection plan.
- Sewer scope: Have a plumber run a camera through the sewer line. In Kansas City, Missouri, KC Water says owners are responsible for the private line between the house and the city sewer main.
- Electrical: Ask an electrician to check the panel and wiring. A CPSC study found that knob-and-tube wiring was common in homes over 40 years old, and that old fuse panels were often overfused.
- Lead paint: For most homes built before 1978, federal rules require the seller to share known lead-paint information and records, give the buyer the EPA pamphlet, and offer a 10-day window for a lead inspection or risk assessment.
- Look for past changes: Ask whether additions, windows or other work were permitted, especially in a local historic district.
- Check the roof, foundation, drainage, chimney and heating system, which often need updates in older homes.
Sources: KC Water: Repair and Maintenance of Residential Service Laterals · U.S. CPSC: What Causes Wiring Fires in Residences? · EPA: Real Estate Disclosures about Potential Lead Hazards · EPA: Frequent Questions about the EPA/HUD Real Estate Disclosure Rule
Related city guides: Kansas City, MO
Related city guides: Independence · Lexington · Liberty · Lee's Summit · Harrisonville · Kansas City, MO · Kansas City, KS · Bonner Springs
Historic designations, review rules and tax credit terms change, and not every older home is in a historic district. Confirm a property's status with the city preservation office and talk to a CPA before you count on any credit.
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Information researched November 2026 from the sources linked on this page. It is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Verify current details directly with each source. Equal Housing Opportunity.
