KC’s Webster House won’t reopen: ‘It is with a heavy heart that this decision was made’
The Webster House — a destination draw in the Crossroads with its combination of upscale restaurant and retail in a historic building — will not reopen.
The operation, at 1644 Wyandotte St., has been temporarily closed since March 17 for the COVID-19 shelter-in-place order.
In a statement, founder Shirley Bush Helzberg confirmed the closing: “After strategic planning and the unknown about when our valued customers would want to come back, we made the decision to not reopen. It has been a place to celebrate, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and many civic events as well. There are fond memories of our personal passion and love for Webster House.”
The building originally opened as the Webster School in January 1885 and closed in 1932. After a lengthy renovation, it reopened as the Webster House in 2002. It is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
It has views of next door neighbor the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts and downtown to the north, as well as the Liberty Memorial to the south.
The first floor offered European antiques, and upscale apparel, jewelry, accessories, gifts and home decor.
The second-floor restaurant offered seasonal menus focusing on ingredients from local producers. It also had a variety of seating areas, including the airy Red Room, along with the chef’s tables by the kitchen so customers could watch the action.
Recent menu items included bone marrow with Calabrian chili and gooseberry jam, lamb shank with pickled mango, rib eye with smoked chili-apple butter, and mushroom strudel.
The building’s Romanesque style was popular in Kansas City in the late 1880s and early 1900s, but few examples survive.
When Helzberg took it over there were holes in the floors and walls, the roof leaked and the brick facade had been painted bright yellow.
Through research, her architects discovered the original bell tower design and Helzberg had it rebuilt. The two grand staircases were restored and ceilings returned to their original height. A chemical peel took the bright yellow building back to its original red brick.
Webster House had 49 full-time and part-time employees.
“I knew we could never come back the way we were,” Helzberg said, noting fewer “people, maybe fewer hours, days open.”
She added: “There were so many uncertainties. Until there is a vaccine people are going to be really fearful.”
This story was originally published April 20, 2020 at 4:19 PM.