More Great Things Are Coming Soon!

HMOF has two on-going top projects. First, work toward nominating the KU campus to the National Register of Historic Places. Second, assist in restoring and preserving as a Heritage Garden the "Mississippi Terrace" which lies west of Lippincott (formerly Green Hall).

As for the first project, at the April 10, 2010, HMOF meeting, members voted to contribute $15,000 toward the preparation of an application to establish a Historic District on the University of Kansas Campus. The Getty Foundation Campus Heritage Plan, which was completed for KU in March, 2008, recommends the nomination of the KU campus as a historic district. The Plan is an invaluable document containing much of the information that KU will need to apply for the Historic District designation.

Two members who represented HMOF on the Steering Committee that oversaw the preparation of the Getty Plan will serve on the Advisory Board for the Provost to facilitate the implementation of the recommendations of the Plan.

Our second top project, the Heritage Garden, is among those recommendations. It is listed there as a landscape "that should be evaluated for inclusion within a potential historic district". (p. 8-10) HMOF has advocated for many years to preserve the natural beauty of and vista from this terrace. Because the classes of 1914 and 1902 placed their gifts there (a stone bench from the former and a stone birdbath from the latter), a natural designation for this spot is "The Heritage Garden".

In 1999 the Historic Mount Oread Friends' past presidents Dennis Farney and Craig Patterson prepared a detailed proposal for a KU Heritage Garden there, and in 2000 the University incorporated it into its master plan. In 2007 Craig Patterson funded and oversaw the restoration and reinstallation of the 1902 birdbath. In 2009 Dennis Farney, personally gave $10,000 for replanting and preserving the original landscape there following completion of the first phase of utility tunnel replacements which had necessitated the tear up of the site. HMOF is currently consulting with KU landscape architects about further support for keeping that garden one of the beautiful sites on campus.

We'd love to have you help us with these projects! Visit the KU Endowment site today to make your contribution online at: http://www.kuendowment.org/hmof.