Update (1:30 p.m. July 8): The iconic neon sign in front of the White Haven Motor Lodge is on the move.
Johnson County Museum executive director Mindi C. Love says the sign is in the process of moving, but "it's taking longer than expected" and may last until Friday. The museum purchased the sign at for $5,500 at an auction; the historic motel closed last month after 53 years in business.
Love says all of the neon has been removed from the sign but the rest
will need to be dismantled because it isn't possible to move the sign as
one piece.
By the way, if you'd like to help pay for the move, the JoCo Museum
would be more than happy to let you. Just mail them a check (6305
Lackman Road, Shawnee, Kansas, 66217) and let 'em know it's for "White
Haven." -- Justin Kendall
Original Story (2:45 p.m. July 1): "I thought I was going to see a
lot of cool 1950s stuff," said Wendy Dow, who was roaming
through the open motel doors of the White Haven Motor Lodge this morning
-- with lots of other curiosity seekers -- before auctioneer Anne
Smith picked up her microphone and began requesting bids on
the contents of Room 139. The auction of the contents of the iconic
53-year-old motel -- a longtime fixture on Metcalf Avenue, began
promptly at 9:30 a.m. Click
here to see a slideshow.
But there wasn't much in the way of
cool 1950s stuff to be found.
The rooms at the Motor Lodge had been continuously redecorated over the last five decades by Gene White, the dapper brother-in-law of Esther White, who built and operated the motel with her late husband Bob until two years ago, when she and Gene sold the property, which had been built on land once occupied by the White family farm at 80th and Metcalf.
"Gene's the creative one," Esther said. "He's a shopaholic. If he saw something that he thought would look good in one of the rooms, he bought it."
That's why none of the motel's rooms looked alike: Room 121 was done up in an ersatz French provincial, with painted furniture, a Tiffany-style light fixture and 1980s-era wallpaper. The walls of Room 112, on the other hand, were covered in sleek blue fabric and sported a faux-Cubist 1960s ceiling fixture and a black mini refrigerator.
One suite was done up in the high 1970s chic. Another looked like a set from a Quentin Tarantino film. There were formal swagged draperies with tassels in some rooms and plainer versions in others. None of the rooms had ashtrays, and none of them smelled like smoke, although most had a vaguely plastic-y aroma and some had an acrid metallic smell. "That's from an ionizer," said one visitor. "Car dealers use them to get rid of bad car smells."
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My styling tips for petite women - For accessories smaller bags coupled with high heeled shoes or sandals would look flattering on short height women.
I stayed there 51 years ago when my family first moved to Overland Park. We stayed there until the movers had arrived and finished unpacking in our new home. The White Haven was a constant as civilization and my world expanded South of 95th Street.
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