Patrick Haire of Humboldt admired the 1876 Landers Wagon & Carriage Shop so much, he bought it twice.
Haire first purchased the historic two-story limestone building in 1995 to use as a woodworking shop. He sold it in 2005 when he moved to Colorado to teach historic preservation at a community college. After he returned to Humboldt several years ago, local residents urged him to buy it back.
The back wall of the original building was months away from collapse, Haire noticed. He feared what might happen to the structure and to Humboldts history if he didnt find a way to buy it. He again took ownership in early 2016.
The abandoned, derelict structure was full of history and junk.
Slowly but surely, I got the building stabilized and cleaned up, Haire said.
Its just magical, just an amazing piece of property. Immediately, I wanted to get it on the National Register of Historic Places.
HAIRE NEEDED to research the propertys history to qualify for the historic register. Carolyn Whitaker, a board member on the Humboldt Historical Society & Museum, provided a thorough history of the building, especially 1the Charles Lander family that owned it 76 years until 1946, along with photographs, insurance maps and newspaper articles about the property.
Charles Lander (1844-1914) learned the blacksmithing trade in his native Sweden. He arrived in the U.S. in 1867 and came to Humboldt in 1870. He established a blacksmith and repair business before building the two-story limestone structure and expanded his business to manufacture wagon and carriages. Blacksmiths did their work on the first floor, with up to four forges available as needed. The upper story was used for finishing, storage and painting. A flat porch roof and double-doors upstairs allowed for the public display of wagons and carriages to those who passed between the Neosho River to the west and downtown Humboldt to the east.
Lander used a line shaft to power his machines with steam engines. In 1877, he adopted a new power source, DeWalds Self-Controlling Windmill, and offered a frame building on his property as a foundry to manufacture the windmills. Lander installed a gasoline engine between 1899 and 1906 during the oil and gas boom.
Landers willingness to diversify and adopt new technology made him one of the leading businessmen in Humboldt.
His son, Ed, later became a partner in the business. They added bicycle repair, lawn mower blade sharpening and tire retreading to their services and expanded their workshop with a brick addition in 1910.
Ed Lander sold the property to another blacksmith, Arthur Elliott, in 1946, who sold the property to Haire.
THE BUILDING allows Haire to offer blacksmithing demonstrations, part of his commitment to educate others about historic preservation with live artistic performances. Hes brought in blacksmiths from throughout the region and teaches local teenagers how to use the buildings original and only surviving forge.
Having the building listed on the National Register of Historic Places gives a great deal of credence to the property, Haire said. The list attracts visitors to Humboldt; the more places you can offer on that list, the more likely visitors will stop at Humboldt and Allen County, he said.
The designation also comes with financial incentives through grants. Non-profit enterprises could qualify for grants with an 80-20 match, while private owners like Haire could get a 50-50 matching grant. Hes considered setting up a non-profit for his enterprise to take advantage of the grant opportunities.
