Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site - Located on the Oregon Trail in Topeka, Kansas, Old Prairie Town is a 6-acre historic site with gardens, preserving the family history of one of the earliest settlers in the area.
Our Historic Roots:
Mary Jane Ward called herself the "mother of Topeka." In 1854, she and her husband, Anthony, a carpenter, wheelwright, and teacher, purchased 240 acres of prime river land for $100 from a Kaw Indian named Joseph James.
They combined three cabins on the property as their first home. Mary Jane offered lodging to weary trail travelers, and most nights, kept a candle burning in her cabin window to welcome them. The couple sold sand from the river to help support their family of six children. Part of the original cabin is incorporated in the reconstructed cabin located in the park. It is open for tours.
The Ward family lived in the cabin until the 1870s, when they built the two-story limestone and brick Prairie home now called the Mansion. Their daughter, Jennie, married John Mackey Meade in 1879, and in 1897, Jennie and John inherited the home. Various members of the family lived in the house until 1961 when the city of Topeka bought the property to use as a park. The Ward-Meade house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and restoration began the next year as a bicentennial project.
Town Square:
The Mulvane General Store
Allows visitors to step back in time to a mercantile setting with a décor of "yesterday," featuring gift items that reflect either the Victorian period or a Kansas theme. Open year-round.
The Potwin Drug Store
Features an old-fashioned soda fountain offering soda fountain treats, ice-cream treats and vintage-era candy. Guests can order cherry phosphates, cherry colas, ice cream sundaes, and brown bread ice cream. The drugstore/soda fountain includes original soda fixtures from a drugstore that stood for 75 years at 5th and Washburn in the historic Potwin area in Topeka. Today, ornate walnut cabinets with dozens of tiny drawers and glass fronts line both sides of the walls. A pharmacist's counter in the back displays antique mortars and pestles and old-fashioned bottles and jars. A turn-of-the-century Wurlitzer jukebox, original to the drug store, occupies one corner.
The Lingo Livery Stable
Originally located in southeast Shawnee County, was disassembled, brought to the property, and reassembled stone by stone with beautiful masonry craftsmanship. The two-story building has a loft area available for meetings, receptions, or dinners and a downstairs area, which is a favorite spot for indoor craft demonstrations during special festivals.
On the second floor of the drugstore, turn-of-the-century physician's and dentist's offices have been recreated. Visitors will see old-fashioned chairs and elaborate cabinets once used by two area dentists. The physician's office displays a wicker wheelchair, antique roll-top desk, and a wooden sterilization cabinet.
The Santa Fe Train Depot
Moved from its original location in Pauline south of Topeka, offers visitors a look at railroad memorabilia and state-of-the-art rail accommodations circa 1900. Railroad buffs volunteer their time to describe to visitors the depot's collection of Kansas railroad station photos and equipment including a telegraph and ticketing machines. A restored caboose sits on the tracks outside and is open for walk-through tours.
The Victor Schoolhouse
A one-room schoolhouse moved from nearby Rossville, is fully operational and a favorite stop for touring elementary schoolchildren. It is a great location for birthday parties and schoolhouse sessions. Built in 1887, the building was moved to the old Topeka fairgrounds in 1957 and then moved to its current location in 1981. Costumed volunteers lead visitors through lessons in "reading, 'writing, and 'rithmatic."
The 1880 Everest Church
This historic church building was moved to Old Prairie Town from Everest, Kansas. The last worship service in this building took place on June 24, 2001. The sadness of the occasion for congregation members was lessened by the knowledge that the building would receive a new life at the Ward-Meade Historic Site.
Thanks to generous donors, volunteer workers, Ward-Meade board members, volunteers and staff, corporate donors and Parks and Recreation of Topeka staff, restoration was completed in the spring of 2004. On June 6, 2004, we dedicated the newest addition to Old Prairie Town at Ward-Meade Historic Site.
In addition to telling the story of small town faith communities through Old Prairie Town’s guided tour program, this facility is now available for rentals. Weddings, recitals, meetings and other similar events may be scheduled by calling 368-2438. This beautiful wood-frame church with stained glass windows joins the Preston Hale Room, the Mansion Courtyard, Anna’s Place (a Victorian Reading Garden) and the Lingo Livery Stable as unique places to hold your special events.
Botanical Gardens:
Every season brings a different beauty to the 2.5 acres of botanical gardens at Old Prairie Town at Ward Meade Historic Site. A special feature of the gardens is Anna's Place, a Victorian Reading Garden.
This quiet and peaceful place includes a water garden with a footbridge, a gazebo and benches. The gazebo may be rented for weddings.
Those who choose a self guided tour of the gardens will find more than 500 varieties of flowers, shrubs, and trees, all labeled with their botanical names. The outdoor locations are so visually rich the entire park is a popular spot for area professional photographers looking for just the right natural setting for portraits. The park also is a meeting place for area garden clubs and for those who enjoy lunch around the picnic tables.
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