Talk:Westwood Hills, Kansas

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• Sbmeirow • Talk • 06:24, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

History

I moved the HISTORY section to here because of the lack of references. You are more than welcome to add any part of this back, as long as their is a citation reference on each paragraph that allows people to verify the statement is true. • Sbmeirow • Talk • 06:28, 26 February 2011 (UTC)

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Westwood Hills as "The Most Beautiful City in Kansas" is 175 homes and approximately 400 citizens living in northeast Johnson County. Bounded by 48th Terrace to the north, 50th Terrace to the South, State Line to the East and Rainbow to the West, the city provides a sense of community to its citizens.

Westwood Hills began as a rock quarry for the development of the Country Club Plaza. In 1922 the subdivision was laid for what would become Westwood Hills. Services were created as the need arose. As Westwood Hills was an unincorporated corner of the county, police and fire came from the Johnson County. The Nichols Company provided water service to its Kansas developments from Kansas City, Missouri sources, and laid its own sewer lines as well.

In 1922 the first lot was sold in Westwood Hills. It was reported that, "Miss Ida Carter climbed through a barbed wire fence on the west side of State Line at Fiftieth Street, shooed the cows out of her way, accompanied by a salesman for the J.C.Nichols Company, and a blueprint of what was to be known as Westwood Hills."

1925 saw construction of the shops at the corner of 50th Street and State Line Road. "Designed (by Nichols Company architect Edward Tanner) in the mode common to English farm buildings, with a touch of Normandy in its main round tower" this commercial area was to house six shops. A beauty shop, Piggly Wiggly and drugstore, were opened in the shops.

Westwood Hills is an integral part of the Country Club District envisioned and planned by JC Nichols in the late 19th and early 20th century. Mr. Nichols had a vision of communities that included residential areas, commercial areas, schools and churches within easy walking distance of each other. This vision was to form the basis of Westwood Hills.

Curving streets help to focus views and avoid a neighborhood of gridded streets. The curving streets were a directive of the original developer, J.C. Nichols, along with his city planner, one of the countries’ most eminent city planners and landscape architects, George E. Kessler. Each street is framed by a stone entryway and garden. While the style of each entrance is consistent in its use of stone and slate shingles, each street has its own distinctive style. It also marks, with pride, the city’s boundaries and welcomes visitors.

The homes of Westwood Hills maintain visual interest throughout their variety of architectural styles, but it is the quality and execution of this architecture that makes them superb. This may be because so many were designed by quality architects. The long time resident Elizebeth Evans Rivard, the first woman architectural graduate from the University of Kansas has eight homes here of the more than 50 homes she designed. Her homes here are featured on current WID (Women in Design) architectural tours. Another young woman architect in Kansas City at the time, Alice Walton, lived in and designed her home in Westwood Hills. She was featured in the prestigious national Liberty magazine. Clarence Kivett, the architect of the Truman Sports complex, home of the Royals and Chiefs, designed a home here as well.

For many years, city residents have gathered together to celebrate special holidays on The Green. An Easter egg hunt is held the Saturday before Easter, with coffee and donuts for the happy observers. July 4th is marked with a parade of residents with children decorating and riding their bikes. Residents all bring dishes, and the Homes Association grills hot dogs and hamburgers. The Homes Association hosts an annual dinner event in November. The year is capped off with the “Lighting of the Mayor’s Christmas tree” celebration on The Green. In addition many of the streets host block parties and other opportunities for gathering neighbors.

Westwood Hills is served by the Shawnee Mission School District, with students attending Westwood View Elementary (winner of the 2011 Governors Achievement Award) Indian Hills and Shawnee Mission East.