The house where Ginger Rogers was born is for sale

Three Trails Cottages, LLC
1134 S Pearl St. Independence, MO 64050
816-833-1602
www.threetrailscottages.com

The two-bedroom, 1 ½ bath house at 100 W Moore Street, Independence, Missouri is where famous Hollywood actress Ginger Rogers was born. It is for sale by Three Trails Cottages, LLC. The house was purchased by the company in 2016 and fully restored by Gene Padgitt and HearthMasters, Inc.  It opened as a museum in August of 2018 and operated as such until the fall of 2019 when it closed for the season. Reopening has not been possible due to the Coronavirus situation and lack of public interest and support.  

100 W Moore Street, Independence, Missouri

Three Trails Cottages, LLC restored this 1906 Craftsman Bungalow to as close to original as possible with period look kitchen and bath, period light fixtures, antique furniture and other items. The City approved this home for use as a short-term vacation rental and it is set up for a new owner to begin using it as a short or long-term rental, or to move in. Most of the furniture, including the beds and linens and a TV is included along with kitchen utensils, dishes, and pots and pans.

Extensive renovation was completed to the property including foundation repair, floor repair, woodwork repairs, painting inside and out, updated electrical, plumbing, and more. The original claw foot tub and corner sink remain. The kitchen features new 1940’s look appliances and a farm sink.

The museum related items which were donated, loaned, and purchased have been removed and stored for a new museum dedicated to Jackson County history.  Some of the 260 items include gowns worn by Ginger Rogers, her tennis racquet, a pair of shoes, and a key to the City of Independence which was presented to her by President Harry Truman in 1964. There are more items that were not on display due to lack of space. 

Kitchen

The Local History Preservation Society has plans for a museum which would include famous people from the area including William Powell, Jean Harlow, Ed Asner, and others. The house was simply not big enough to display all the items acquired, and a larger space will work better. Bricks purchased by supporters will be moved to the new site which has not yet been determined. The LHPS is currently seeking a donated building in Jackson County. 

The price of the house is $109,500.

Contact:

Marge Padgitt, Museum Director and owner of Three Trails Cottages, LLC.
threetrailscottages@gmail.com

www.owensrogersmuseum.com
816-833-1602 office
816-365-9492 cell

The Ginger House Update

I wanted to let everyone know about the progress at the Ginger House- The interior is 99% completed. The only thing left to do is the white subway tile with gray grout in the kitchen and finish the displays of Ginger Rogers memorabilia and some of the items she owned.

The next step is the exterior, and that won't be as easy a task since we must get approval from the City of Independence Heritage Commission for any repairs or improvements since this is an Historic Landmark Property.

The steps involved include getting a site survey, having a plan drawn up by a landscape architect, removal of trees that are a danger to the house, approval by the city arborist, and getting approval from the Heritage Commission.

Our plans include replacing the sidewalks around the house and to the front porch with paver bricks; new landscaping and grass; a lighted sign; uplighting of the house; a new old style fence around the property for added security; repair of the porch, columns, siding, and soffits, and roof replacement. Last March hail severely damaged the roof. We are planning to restore the exterior color to the original white, and keep everything on the exterior of the house original except the roof, which will be a period look roof. We are also planning to add a paver brick driveway and patio in the back of the property.  The expected remaining costs are between $30,000 - $40,000.

People who donate $50 or more to the project will have their name engraved on a paver brick which will be placed in a permanent location on the property.

The grand opening of the museum will be July 14-15, 2018 at the Ginger Rogers Day Festival.

Donations can be made at www.thegingerhouse.org.
___________________________
Marge Padgitt is the Director of The Ginger House Museum. Contact her at mp@thegingerhouse.org.

Down to the Wire

Update on the GR House:

The wiring and plumbing are completed and passed inspection by the building inspector - yea! Next, Gene is getting ready to put the insulation in the walls and put up drywall in the kitchen - the next to the last thing to do inside the house. The cabinets are sitting in the house and ready for installation. The alarm system has been repaired and is now working.

We are going to add a small half bath off of the kitchen so visitors will have a place to use the restroom without disturbing the tours through the full bath. After the interior is finished we need to apply to the city for the exterior improvements and landscaping. Don't worry- the look of the exterior will be kept the same as it was originally.

Welcome to the Ginger House Blog

From a 1942 LIFE Magazine article

Welcome to our new blog about the Ginger House - the birthplace of  actress/dancer Ginger Rogers in Independence, Missouri. We purchased this home on February 29, 2016 and are restoring it so that hopefully we can open it to the public in the near future.

We have addressed several major structural issues including the stone foundation, floor joists, floors, woodwork and brick chimney, and are currently in the process of doing the interior renovations, restoring the interior features as close to original condition as possible. The costs so far have exceeded $66,000.

The room where Ginger was born.
From a 1942 LIFE Magazine article

This house was built in 1906 by a developer who built three houses on this block at the same time. They are all still standing.

The architectural style is called Craftsman Bungalow and according to the Independence Heritage Commission, this house has unique features such as the porch columns and extensive exterior and interior wood trim work not normally found on "working class" houses.

The location is  at 100 W. Moore Street, one block off of 24 highway at the corner of Main and Moore streets in Independence. Watch here for our progress photos and opening date. Please sign up for notices so you can keep up with our progress.

We can't make any further exterior changes without permission from the Independence Heritage Commission since this is an Historic Landmark Property. We have big plans for the exterior landscaping, fences, and parking in back, but this portion of the project won't be started until we raise adequate funds. The cost for the landscaping and parking is expected to be around $50,000.

We are real estate investors and normally buy, restore, then sell or rent historic houses. Our purpose in purchasing the home was solely to preserve it as a piece of history rather than have it go into further disrepair or have another family living in it as a private residence that the public did not have access to. Part of the reason for this decision is that I am a huge fan of Ginger Rogers, as was my mother. Ginger Rogers was an extremely talented woman and her mother was a very strong and independent woman. Both were good role models for young women.

Ginger visited this house several times while in Independence or Kansas City playing at Starlight Theatre or other venues, and in 1964 when she visited President Harry Truman at the Truman Library, just three blocks from this location. Ginger again returned in 1994 for the Ginger Rogers Day Festival hosted by the City of Independence and Mayor Ron Stewart. She was given the key to the City at that time.

Ginger Rogers at the house and Mayor Stewart holding the historic plaque
which he affixed to the house

The house today, the columns repaired and a new chimney constructed

We are planning a Ginger Rogers Festival and fund-raising event in the spring of 2017 and will post more information about that on this blog soon.

For more information about how you can help with this project visit www.thegingerhouse.org.