Alma, Kansas — The City Made of Stone

As you begin heading East on I-70 out of Manhattan, you might notice some road signs that say “Native Stone” byway. I was not in a hurry to head back to Kansas City. I turned off the road and began following the signs to a small town called Alma. Alma, Kansas, located in the Flint Hills, was first settled in 1858 by Swedish, English, Irish, and Germany settlers. Most of the buildings in the small city are also made of the native limestone from the nearby hills. It is, as the road signs said, a city made of native stone.

Native Stone Scenic Drive

Alma is part of both the Scenic Mill Creek Drive and the Native Stone Scenic Drive. You can see remnants of the old stone fences that the government paid farmers to build back in 1867. Downtown, the main buildings still retain their historical look. The limestone blocks were often hauled to the site by heavy wagons and horses and were put in place by hand with heavy ropes.

This building in Alma, Kansas, was built in the early 1880s and is called the “Limerick” Building. — This building was built in the early 1880s and is called the “Limerick” Building.

The building on the left (with the balcony) is the Alma Hotel, originally known as the Brandt Hotel. It was built in the late 1880s and sheltered the railroad crews and travelers on the local railroad.

Stone buildings in old downtown Kansas City.

An original frame church rested here and was reconstructed with the native stone beginning in August 1899. The Holy Family Catholic Church is a combination of Roman and Gothic architecture.

The Wabaunsee County Courthouse was built in 1931 of carthage and native stone. The carthage on the outside gives the appearance of a granite structure while the walls are backed up with eight inches of native stone.

Monument erected outside of the Wabaunsee County Courthouse with old St. John’s Luthern Church in background.

The old log cabin (which has a stone city well building next to it) is on the edge of town. The stone building was built in 1930.

St. John's Luthern Church in Alma, Kansas, is a stone church that was built in 1908. — St. John’s Luthern Church is a stone church that was built in 1908.

St. John’s Luthern Church is a stone church that was built in 1908.

Where to find it? (Map)

Note. The photos were taken with an old iPhone. The pixelation in a lot of these pictures is a good example of a digital zoom vs optical zoom. So, this trip is what made me reconsider purchasing a new point and shoot so that I didn’t have to carry around my large DSLR on short trips, but one that still took higher quality photos.

For more information about the historic places (and more stone buildings) in the city, visit the City of Alma, Kansas website.