WU Foundation Building History

1888 Wielding House at 1729 SW MacVicar Ave. was commissioned by farmer Carl Wielding (1841-1917). Carl and his wife, Louisa, shared the home with their three surviving children, Julius, Laura, Walter, and their nephew, Amos Wielding.

1909 L.W. Haag purchased the home from the Wiedlings and sold the home in 1910 to L.H. Bradley.

1919 Laura Wielding Storrs, Carl Wiedling’s daughter, purchased the home. The Storrs sold the home in 1921 to Howard Seales. Howard sold the home in 1923 to Carl and Ruby Linges. Carl, an alumnus of Washburn University, also owned Mount Hope Cemetery.

1929 Robert and Mildred Kingman purchased the home. Robert was an alumnus and beloved science professor at Washburn University. It was during his ownership when the carriage house was used for the first productions of the Topeka Civic Theater.

1941 Eldon and Harriet Sloan purchased the home and began its first major renovations.  On November 21, 1941 Eldon filed a building permit for a $6,000 remodel. That amount exceeded the cost of the average new home at the time.

1965 The Sloans sold the home to William and Patricia Zimmerman.

1966 A tornado destroyed much of the Washburn University campus, yet produced very little damage to the home.

1983 James and Joy Nordstrom purchased the home.

2004 The Washburn Endowment Association purchased the property and began renovations.

2007 The Washburn Endowment Association officially opened its doors at 1729 SW Macvicar Ave.