In 1931,the Santa Fe created a covenant that “no real estate in Santa Fe could be sold,given,rented to or occupied by black people for a period of thirty years.” Despite the covenant in 1948, Dr. D.M. The Santa Fe Place Historic District was placed on the United States Department of the Interior’s National Register of Historic Places Inventory in 1986. Santa Fe Place is bounded by four thoroughfar
es: 27th Street on the north, Linwood Boulevard on the south, Prospect Ave on the west, and Indiana Avenue on the east. The land was originally owned by Jones Lockridge who purchased it in 1835. It served as the Lockridge family farm until the Civil War. In 1890, Thomas’ son Charles Lockridge built a three-story brick Victorian Queen Anne Style House at the northeast corner of Prospect Ave. and 30th Street. This house set the precedent for the area’s large, gracious homes. The Santa Fe District was platted in 1897 and residential development began in 1902. The majority of residential housing was developed between 1902 and 1925. There were a total of 799 homes build during this period. Today, the Santa Fe District remains relatively intact, of the original 799 homes that were built, 719 are still standing. The degree of historical and architectural integrity is rare within the context of Kansas City’s urban core neighborhoods.
The Santa Fe District, like many other residential areas within Kansas City was a fully segregated “whites only” neighborhood until 1948, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against racial restrictive covenants. That same year, Dr. D.M. Miller, an African American, purchased the home at 2944 Victor Street. Dr. Miller struggled to remain a resident while being taken to court by white Santa Fe homeowners. Finally, in December 1949 the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the Santa Fe racial covenants illegal, and at last, black families throughout Kansas City, Missouri were free to reside in Santa Fe. In addition to Dr. Miller, many other famous people have lived in Santa Fe: Negro Leagues Baseball Players John Jordan "Buck" O’Neal and Leroy "Satchel" Paige, Walter Elias "Walt" Disney, the creator of mickey mouse and founder of Disneyland. Other notable Kansas Citians who have resided in Santa Fe Place include Barbeque Baron Ollie Gates, Everett O’Neal, Clara Miller, Willard Shelton, TL Williams, Former United States Congressman Alan Wheat, John Cooley and Pastor Dr. Wallace S.
