Three presentations will begin the Kinsley Library “Kansas Architecture: Reflections of Cultures” from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Kinsley Library, 208 E. 8th Street.
Edwin Carlson, Senior Architect with Hollis and Miller of Overland Park will introduce the series with a discussion on vernacular architecture, or architecture designed on local needs, availability of construction materials and reflecting the local traditions. Carlson grew up in Kinsley and is the expert on its history and people. In 2010, he developed a bus tour of the architectural styles of Kinsley for the library. This tour will again be offered on April 2, to conclude the series.
Lauren Ritterbush, Ph.D. will be speaking on “Earthlodges of the Plains Village Tribes.” Ritterbush is associate professor of anthropology/archaeology at Kansas State University. Her presentation reflects her interest in prehistoric archaeology and ethnohistory of the Central and Northern Plains and Midwest. She authored an article describing an exhibition to a Kanza village in 1819, and the current archeological evidence gathered about the site (“Visit to Blue Earth Village,” Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains, Spring, 2015).
The third speaker will be Gina Powell, Ph.D. talking about “Living Underground in Kansas.” Dr. Powell currently works at the Kansas Historical Society in Topeka as a contract archeologist. She became interested in dugout when a KDOT project first exposed her to two dugouts along the Santa Fe Trail west of Dodge City. These dugouts inspired her to write the article, “Living Underground in Kansas” (Kansas Preservation, Volume 36, Issue 1).
The Kansas Architecture series is being partially funded by the Kansas Humanities Council, a nonprofit cultural organization that connects communities with history, traditions, and ideas to strengthen civic life.
A complete description of the series with future meetings on Feb. 12, March 12, and April 21, and online registration is available at the library website, www.kinsleylibrary.info. Registration can also be done at the library or by phone at 620-659-3341). A registration fee of $10 for the entire series will be collected at the first meeting.