Text of the marker:
(Seal of Sertoma International)
The Coates House
On April 11, 1912 hosted the first meeting of SERTOMA INTERNATIONAL
(Originally the Co-Operative Club)
From the Sertoma website:
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visit link)
"For more than 100 years, volunteers known as Sertomans serve communities across the United States. Originally known as Co-Operative International, each member takes pride in the colorful history of the Co-Operative Club International and Sertoma International. This history is based upon information gleaned from old SERTOMAN and THE CO-OPERATOR magazines on file at Sertoma Headquarters.
On April 11, 1912, three Kansas City, Missouri, business men, Dr. George W. Smith, Dr. Charles E. Allen, and newspaper publisher William R. Rowe, enticed community leaders to “get involved.” Now entering the 2nd Century of Service, Sertoma community leaders are engaged in improving the quality of life in communities by making a difference for those who suffer from hearing loss."
From the National Register application for the Coates House:
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visit link)
"The Coates House Hotel is an example of a late nineteenth century, urban hotel exhibiting the use of contemporary design systems and luxury features. The original hotel on the site was completed in the late 1860's. It was enlarged, 1886-1887, by the addition of a south wing. The original building was then replaced, 1889-1891. This description is of the final building consisting of the 1886-1887 and 1889-1891 portions.
Present Appearance
1. Over-all dimensions: The building is 220 feet long on the Broadway
(Primary facade west) side and 142 feet on the 10th Street (north)side. It is six stories high, and has a light well on the east side giving the building a "U" plan.
2. Foundations: The foundations are brick at the south end and possibly stone at the north end. (If future research reveals that the foundations are stone, they are reused foundations from the earlier Coates House Hotel, demolished).
3. Wall construction, finish and color: Red, pressed brick with stucco-faced limestone belt courses was employed in the upper walls. Stone (painted white) alternating with seven courses of brick was used in the walls at the first story level. Ornamental stone insets appear between the windows of the fifth and sixth story windows, and another continuous course of stone forming the sills of the sixth story windows. Moulded brick in a checkered, square and ball, pattern differentiates the upper most portion of the wall above the sixth story windows, from the lower wall. A cornice of molded sheet metal divides the lower four floors from the two uppermost floors.
4. Structural system, framing: The hotel has brick bearing walls, and a metal column and beam structure for the interior support. This construction method was a contemporary fire-resistant system.
5. Porches: There is a balcony across the primary (Broadway) and secondary (10th Street) facades at the second floor level. The balcony is supported by ornate iron brackets and is rimmed by a sheet metal moulding. In front of the main entrance the balcony widens into an entrance porch and is supported by four cast iron pillars.
6. Chimney: Chimneys presently appear only at the rear of the building. One is a free-standing stack at the center of the rear "U".
7. Openings:
a. Doorways: The main entrance is on the west side. A secondary entrance is on the north. Tertiary entrances from the streets and from the east and south alleys open into shop spaces, and service areas.
b. Windows: Fenestration provides the salient exterior feature. Double-hung windows, regularly spaced in bays running through the second to sixth stories occur in groups 2, 3, and 4 bays wide between projecting polygonal and rectangular bay windows. The projecting bays occur at the corners of the two street facades and are ranged along these two facades paired at the midpoint of the north facade and dividing the west facade into equal fourths. Polygonal bays on the south facade occupy the second and fifth range of windows from the east end. The projecting bays are of wood construction, clad in heavy-gauge, ornamental, sheet metal. All windows have wood frames, and one pane of glass in each sash. Windows at street level are the store front type.
8. Roof: The roof is apparently featureless and flat. This area was not examined."