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Featured Detour Travel Kansas City Favorites Sports Betting Shopping/Reviews Careers and Education Special Features Press Releases Home services Sponsored Content Classifieds Place an Ad – Celebrations Search Jobs Search Legal Notices Advertising Crumbling KC home of Negro Leagues great Satchel Paige takes big step toward renovation The restoration of the Kansas City home where Negro Leagues pitcher Satchel Paige lived for 32 years received a significant financial boost from the Mellon Foundation of New York, which donated $750,000. Cost estimates range from $5 million to $7 million for the project. TAMMY LJUNGBLAD Tljungblad@kcstar.com The front yard’s weeds are 10 inches tall. Sheets of rotted clapboard are peeling off. After a fire in 2018, the Kansas City home that Negro Leagues legend Leroy Robert “Satchel” Paige occupied for the last 32 years of his life still has charred walls, floors, and ceilings that have turned to charcoal. However, the leaders of a mission to restore the 3,700-square-foot home of the Kansas City Monarchs pitcher, which had largely stalled, are experiencing the greatest optimism they have experienced since their effort began six years ago. They stated that the Mellon Foundation, which is based in New York, has contributed $750,000 to the restoration of the house. This is the largest single donation made to a project that could ultimately cost anywhere from $5 million to $7 million. Gary Abram, a partner in the PLX Corp. and one of four board members of the nonprofit Leroy Satchel Paige Family Home Corp., acknowledged that the project has “been treading water” in recent years. “This grant is a big deal,” he said. Abram stated, “This is a big, big opportunity to reestablish the project’s importance.” He stated that he hopes the support of a national foundation will encourage investment from local philanthropic organizations, such as the Hall Family Foundation, the Sunderland Foundation, the Kauffmann Family Foundation, and the Kansas City Royals, that have previously expressed interest. From the 1920s on, Satchel Paige was a major star in this unidentified photograph from the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He played for the Kansas City Athletics and the Kansas City Monarchs from 1941 to 1947. Courtesy of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum The brick and clapboard house in the historic Santa Fe neighborhood of Kansas City is a landmark that should be preserved, according to Abram and others. One of the most well-known Negro League players was Paige from the 1920s on. He pitched for the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Cleveland Cubs, and the Birmingham Black Barons during his career. After that, he pitched for the Kansas City Monarchs from 1941 to 1947. He entered Major League Baseball in 1948 at the age of 42, beginning with the Cleveland Indians and progressing to the St. Athletics of Kansas City and the Louis Browns Paige was inducted into Cooperstown’s National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1971. From 1950, during the Jim Crow era, until 1982, he and his wife Lahoma lived at 2929 E. 28th Street. There, they raised their eight children and entertained other legends like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, and the Harlem Globetrotters. Satchel Paige is pictured with his wife, Lahoma, and their children at home in Kansas City’s Santa Fe neighborhood in an unidentified news clipping. Tammy Ljungblad can be reached at tljungblad@kcstar.com. In 2018, a large portion of the house was consumed by fire, which was thought to be intentional, destroying its roof and turning its interior black. The residence remains on the city’s list of “dangerous buildings.” It still smells like charred wood despite being surrounded by a locked chain-link fence. The house was purchased shortly after the fire by the Kansas City Homesteading Authority. The city fixed the roof, cleaned up the mess, and strengthened the interior with a $150,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The homesteading authority invited developers to submit plans for the structure’s repurposing in 2021. Multistudio architect Robert Riccardi opens the gate that surrounds Satchel Paige’s former residence, a Negro Leagues baseball legend. Pitch Perfect KC, which aims to restore the 3,700 square foot residence and make it a landmark, is led by Riccardi. Pitch Perfect KC was established that same year, and Tammy Ljungblad can be reached at tljungblad@kcstar.com. The group brought together individuals interested in historic preservation, the Santa Fe Area Council, Paige family members, and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. At the time, the group was led by managing developer Vincent Gauthier, who has since stepped down. They made the winning proposal, which included not only renovating the two and a half story house but also creating a separate, separate event space at the house’s rear. Additionally, they hope to accumulate sufficient funds to support an endowment for the house, grounds, and event center. State Sen. of Missouri In 2021, Barbara Washington made the announcement that the state would contribute $500,000. The Leroy Satchel Paige Family Home non-profit would own and run the house while Pitch Perfect KC would develop the project. A rendering by Multistudio of the backyard of Satchel Paige’s former Kansas City residence at 2626 E. 28th St. Abram stated that the project and fundraising effectively stalled after 2021 for Multistudio Multistudio. A portal for online donations had not yet been created on satchelshouse.org, a project website, as of Tuesday. They anticipate one to appear soon. We will see some changes as a result of this funding. Marquita Taylor, a member of Pitch Perfect and president of the Santa Fe Area Council neighborhood association, stated, “We will see some things happening, which is what we all want.” I’m hoping for the beginning of more interest. A portion of the $750,000 will be used to repair the deteriorating exterior of the house, according to architect Robert Riccardi, a principal at Multistudio (formerly Gould Evans). Before the end of the year, he anticipates that work will begin. Abrams, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early 1970s and was a minor league pitcher, stated, “We think the story (of the house) is such a rich story.” It’s a civil rights story as well as a baseball story. We hope to attract a wide range of people and transform it into something that truly honors the family, the neighborhood, Kansas City baseball, and the Negro Leagues. “You know, Satchel was, in my opinion, the modern-day Michael Jordan. There was no one in the Negro Leagues with a higher profile. Plans for the restoration of Satchel Paige’s 2018 fire-damaged home at 2626 E. 28th St. are displayed by Multistudio architect Robert Riccardi. The organizers hope that a $750,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation of New York will increase donations and support from the community. Tammy Ljungblad can be reached at tljungblad@kcstar.com. Mike Hendricks reported on this story. The first time this story was published was on August 21, 2024, at 11:37 AM. CHECK OUT MORE OF OUR REPORTING ON UNIQUELY KC VAHE GREGORIAN The reason a baseball card from a 4-year-old boy is in the Royals dugout: “If you need perspective….” 19 August 2024, 7 a.m., WHAT IS YOUR KCQ? The entire nation was once dressed by factory workers in this area of Kansas City. What took place? AUGUST 17, 2024, 6:00 AM SEE ALL STORIES ERIC ADLER THE KANSAS CITY STAR 816-234-4431 Eric Adler has been writing for The Star since 1985. He focuses on in-depth stories about people who are at the center and on the fringes of the news. He has the luxury of writing about any subject or person. Numerous awards, both national and regional, have been given for his work. Take Us With You All of your favorite local news and updates in real time in the palm of your hand. 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