Don Drummond, a builder of a significant number of modern homes in Kansas City, started building in 1947 after returning from the Navy's Engineering Corps where he oversaw building of various Miltary base housing projects during WWII. The black and white photos were provided by Don. He built his first fifteen houses in the 2900 block of E. 52nd St., Kansas City, MO. The only houses that were vacant or in differed condition were the ones from the vintage photos.
These homes were designed by Don. He said he was having difficulty getting building permits when his father-in-law, the honorable Judge Woodruff said "order the concrete." Must have been a "Pendergast thing". . . he got his permits. Then he ran into difficulty when an "early" buyer was Italian and the "Mortgage Man" said "no one else will want to move in. . . reconsider." This was before Fair Housing. These houses narrowly missed destruction when the Bruce R. Watkins Trafficway was constructed a block away to the west. These photos attest to the difficulty of revitalization of certain neighborhoods during these economic times. . . to be continued. . .
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