Jansen Place - Hyde Park

Hyde Park was greatly impacted by the land boom of the 1880’s. Fantastic speculation drove up land prices until the bottom dropped out after 1888 and development effectively halted for the next ten years. Although the first houses were built in the late 1880’s, less than 50 houses were erected by 1900. However, by 1907, when the housing market had recovered, that number of homes had increased fivefold. By the early 1920s, most of the houses in the area were built.

For many years, the entire residential area was generally referred to as “Hyde Park” without reference to any specific subdivisions. Today, Hyde Park refers to the area from 31st Street, south to 47th Street, between Gillham Road and Troost. There are approximately 1,500 homes in the area.

Hyde Park houses first went up when Victorian and Queen Anne styles were the arbiters of good taste. Over the years, Dutch Colonial, Colonial Revival, Neo-Georgian, Craftsmen, Bungalow, Kansas City Shirtwaist, Tudor, and American Foursquare took their place among the Victorians. After World War II, modern styles and suburban ranch homes appeared on the streets of Hyde Park in limited numbers. Nevertheless, even today, a walk down any of the tree-lined streets is a step back in time; when sitting on the front porch visiting with strollers and neighbors, playing croquet, or simply reading a book beside the parlor fireplace passed for entertainment.