William Allen White House, Main House, 927 North Exchange Street, Emporia, Lyon County, KS

Significance: "Red Rocks" was the home of newspaper editor and writer William Allen White from 1899 until his death in 1944. White was national known and revered as the editor of the Emporia Gazette, a frequent contributor to popular journals such as McClure's, Harper's Weekly, and Saturday Evening Post and an influential political advisor. It was at Red Rocks that White and his family entertained several United States Presidents and other important policy-makers as well as cultural luminaries including writer Edna Ferber, architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his Taliesin fellows, poet Walt Mason, and countless other guests. Because of White's fame and career, his home was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1976. The site consists of three structures - the main house, White's mother's house, and a garage - on four adjoining town lots unified by a terraced garden. After the renovation of the three-story main house in 1920-21, the exterior was changed from an elaborate Queen Anne-styled confection to a more sedate, sophisticated Tudor Revival. The house takes its name, "Red Rocks," from the red Colorado sandstone of the first story, while the two top stories are of red pressed brick, stucco, and wood strips designed to appear as half-timbering.
Unprocessed Field note material exists for this structure: N847
Survey number: HABS KS-81-A
Building/structure dates: ca. 1889 Initial Construction
Building/structure dates: 1920-1921 Subsequent Work
Building/structure dates: 1973 Subsequent Work
National Register of Historic Places NRIS Number: 71000318