Fort Leavenworth Spouses’ Club to host Historic Homes Tour April 11

FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kansas - The Fort Leavenworth Spouses' Club will help recognize and celebrate some of the post's historic homes and architecturally significant landmarks with the Historic Homes Tour from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 11, 2026, with check-in for the tours beginning at 10:45 a.m. at the Old U.S. Disciplinary Barracks complex on McPherson Avenue at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The homes and landmarks on the tour represent pieces of military, social and American history. All proceeds from the tours go to the FLSC's scholarships and grants program.

To purchase tickets for the Historic Homes Tour, visit https://www. zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/fort-leavenworth-historic-tour-of-homes--2026. Tour goers can choose a single ticket for $20 or two tickets for $35.

Attendees must be at least 10 years old. Photography, food and drinks are not permitted inside the homes. Attendees should check in at the Old USDB courtyard at least 15 minutes before their scheduled time to receive a map, wristband for home entry and additional information. Self-guided tours take place as a group per time slot.

Homes and landmarks on the tour:

Thomas Custer House 220 Pope Ave.

This house, identical to the one at 624 Scott Ave., illustrates the popularity of machine-carved wooden decorative features of the 1880s. This building was named after Capt. Thomas Ward Custer, brother of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Thomas Custer was the first American to receive two Medals of Honor. Constructed in 1883 at a cost of $8,247, the house today contains three guest suites and three single-room suites where VIPs stay when visiting Fort Leavenworth.

212 Pope Ave.

One of seven brick double sets of captains' quarters finished between 1905 and 1908, 212 Pope Ave. shares its architectural heritage with 210 Pope Ave., 410-516 Grant and 608 Scott. Ave. Built during Fort Leavenworth's post-Spanish-American War boom, this home is one of the many buildings that was constructed on the recommendation that a comprehensive building plan be created to accommodate students of the School of Application for Cavalry and Infantry, as well soldiers in artillery, cavalry, Signal Corps and Medical Corps units assigned on post.

No. 1 Scott Ave.

Built around 1861 on the former site of the Enlisted Soldiers' Burial Ground, No. 1 Scott Ave. is built from locally produced red brick. The original cost of the three-story, 9,500-square-foot structure was $14,000. Extensive modifications were made from 1870-1906. The home is on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as one of the central highlights of the post's historic district. Famous Army commanders who have occupied this home include Generals Franklin Bell, Frederick Funston, Lesley J. McNair, William R. Richardson, Carl E. Vuono, Robert W. RisCassi and David Petraeus.

605 Scott Ave.

This house was completed in 1883 as part of a trio of homes, with 220 Pope Ave. and 612 Grant Ave. They were built for the officers on the staff of Maj. Gen. John Pope, who was instrumental in Fort Leavenworth's rapid expansion in the 1880s. Pope pushed for both the transfer of the Headquarters of the Department of the Missouri from St. Louis to the post, and for building accommodations for the personnel who would have to accompany such a significant relocation.

610 Scott Ave.

The home at 610 Scott Ave., built in 1894, exemplifies the Italianate style and the post's transition to a center of military education. Home to figures such as Lt. Charles W. Abbott Jr. and Capt. Samuel L. Woodward, the residence reflects the fort's pivotal role in shaping the modern U.S. Army.

620 Scott Ave.

Previously the style of a single-story log building, this home was likely a parsonage. It was designated for the staff officers of the Department of the Missouri until 1890 when the headquarters left Fort Leavenworth. For the past 70 years, it has been the home for British liaison officers and their families. It is built partly in stone and clad with wood. The kitchen was added in 1887. Most of the furnishings, some of which came from the British Embassy in Washington, D.C., stay with the house from occupant to occupant.

Old. U.S. Disciplinary Barracks, 310 McPherson Ave.

The U.S. Military Prison opened in 1875 in buildings that were part of a quartermaster depot. The prison closed when a new USDB opened in 2002 near the northwest corner of post. The largest building in the USDB, known as "The Castle," was demolished in 2004, but other portions of the old USDB have been remodeled and put back into use. The front of the old USDB is currently home to several Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation activities, including the 12th Brick Bar and Grill, which is open to the public.

Memorial Chapel

Memorial Chapel at 626 Scott Ave. stands as a solemn tribute to the men and women who lived and served at Fort Leavenworth. Originally built in 1878 using locally quarried stone and prison labor, this cherished landmark houses 90 plaques commemorating about 100 individuals and units, including soldiers from the Battle of Little Bighorn. Memorial Chapel remains an active house of worship today, fostering spiritual connection across generations.

Editor's note: Descriptions of the homes were adapted from Lamp archives, which include several years of Historic Homes Tour brochures prepared by the Friends of the Frontier Army Museum, the organization that hosted the tour before FLSC.