The Gallagher-Gillmor House. Built in 1900 by John A. Gallagher, this two and a half story stone house was the Gallagher family's country home known as Hawthorn. Named for Hawthorn Station on the Kansas City Independence Electric Railway and the Hawthorn trees on the property, it was a ten-acre estate complete with barn, pastures and livestock. John had always wanted to have a farm on which to rear his family. However, he and wife, Florence (Cole) Gallagher, and their four children, Dorothy, Mary (Louise), Helen and John C. maintained their permanent residence in Kansas City, Missouri. As a young boy of 13, John served as a pharmacist's apprentice in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1876, he came to Kansas City, and with Dr. J.C. Eaton opened a drugstore at 8th Main. John's success in the wholesale pharmaceutical field led to his building the first wholesale drug company in the area. In 1912, his career reached its peak as he became President of the Faxon Gallagher Drug Company and served in that capacity until his death in 1923 at age 71. Florence was born in 1861 to Granville and Lucretia Hite Cole of Collinsville, Illinois. She received her education at the Visitation Convent in St. Louis, Missouri. Her father, a lawyer in Collinsville, moved his family to the Kansas City area in the 1880's to enter real estate and banking enterprises. He was a Director of the old Bank of Commerce, a predecessor of the Commerce Trust Company. At age 31, Florence married 40 year old, John A. Gallagher. Their first home was located at Independence Avenue and Woodland. Florence was known for her work with private charities and she was a member of the Woman's City Club, the Amateur Flower Garden Association and the Tabernacle Society. She loved entertaining and Hawthorn was the site of special luncheons and socials for notable Independence ladies' groups. Following John's death in 1923, caretakers maintained Hawthorn and in 1925, Florence sold the property. The next residents of Hawthorn were the L. Fred Evans family. Mr. Evans was Vice President of an area retail dry goods company. Long time Independence residents suggest that it was Emery, Bird, Thayer, a well-known Kansas City department store. Rebekah was the daughter of Judge and Mrs. Richard Fields. She and Fred had three children, Richard, Rebekah and Frederick. The family lived at Hawthorn for nineteen years and in 1944, widow, Rebekah, sold the beautiful home to Mrs. Lottie Gillmor. Lottie Gillmor, widow of Dr. William L. Gillmor, moved from Fairmount to Hawthorn and lived there for sixteen years. The late Dr. Gillmor and his wife Lottie, had three children, Dr. C. Stewart Gillmor, William L. Gillmor, and daughter Carol Gillmor Elliott. In the 1950's, Lottie gifted a portion of the Hawthorn property to the Westminster Presbyterian Church at 9601 Wilson Road. It would later become the new location for Westminster. Then in 1960, and according to Lottie Gillmor's wishes, Hawthorn's ownership changed. Following her death, Lottie's children sold the stone house to the Westminster Presbyterian Church and for the next forty years, Hawthorn House served as administrative offices and educational space for the Congregation of Westminster Presbyterian Church. In late 1999, Fred Patricia Bibler purchased Hawthorn from the Westminster Presbyterian Church (now Trinity Presbyterian Church) with the intent to develop Hawthorn into a bed breakfast. Beginning in January 2000, Hawthorn was completely renovated and returned to it's original magnificence. Hawthorn, A Bed Breakfast, opened it's doors in the Fall of 2000 to guests, events and special luncheons and socials for notable Independence ladies' groups. The second floor has four beautifully decorated guestrooms. Each room is named in recognition of past owners; The Gallagher, The Evans, The Gillmor and the two-room Westminster Suite. A fifth guest room, The Bibler, located on the third floor of the mansion, is named for the creator/developer of Hawthorn, A Bed Breakfast. In June of 2006, a new generation purchased Hawthorn, A Bed Breakfast. Jim Wendy Allen are fulfilling a longtime dream of owning and operating a bed breakfast. Frequent travelers themselves and having stayed at numerous BB's across the country and in Europe, they bring their creative, relaxed down-home hospitality to Hawthorn. Each overnight guest experiences Jim's complete homemade breakfast. What some of our guests have had to say: The stay has been everything we expected and then some. The breakfast was to die for...and we cannot wait to come back.. Thank you for a very relaxing and memorable three-day stay. Your calm relaxed manners helped us both slowly unwind gain some long needed rest! The breakfasts were awesome!. Whether you are an overnight or event guest, you will discover what so many have found: At Hawthorn, your time with us will be memorable, the experience unforgettable!

Large Events- Indoor Weddings ~ Receptions ~ Parties. $750 4 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs. Deluxe Indoor Event $1,250 6 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs. Indoor Event Package $1,300 4 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs One night B B for 10 guests. Deluxe Indoor Event Package $2,350 6 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs Two nights B B for 10 guests. *$5.00/per person over 50 guests Additional hours may be added. Large Events- Outdoor. Weddings ~ Receptions ~ Picnics. $1,000 4 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs. Deluxe Garden Event $1,500 6 hours, 50 guests*, tables chairs. Garden Event Package $1,550 4 hours, 50 guests*, tables and chairs One night B B for 10 guests. Deluxe Garden Event Package $2,600 6 hours, 50 guests*, tables and chairs Two nights B B for 10 guests *$5.00/per person over 50 guests Additional hours may be added. Prices subject to change without notice.

The Gallagher is named after Hawthorn's first owner, John A. Gallagher who built the house in the early 1900's. As a young boy of 13, John served as a pharmacist's apprentice in Scranton, Pennsylvania. In 1876, he came to Kansas City, and with Dr. J.C. Eaton opened a drugstore at 8th Main. John's success in the wholesale pharmaceutical field led to his building the first wholesale drug company in the area. In 1912, his career reached its peak as he became President of the. Faxon Gallagher Drug Company and served in that capacity until his death in 1923 at age 71. At age 31, Florence married 40 year old, John A. Gallagher. Their first home was located at Independence Avenue and Woodland. Florence was known for her work with private charities and she was a member of the Woman's City Club, the Amateur Flower Garden Association and the Tabernacle Society. She loved entertaining and Hawthorn was the site of special luncheons and socials for notable Independence ladies' groups. Following John's death in 1923, caretakers maintained Hawthorn and in 1925, Florence. This is an incomplete Gallagher family genogram. If you have more information to complete this diagram, please email it to. L. Fred Evans, Judge Richard Fields, Rebekah Fields, Rebekah Evans, Richard Evans, Frederick Evans

Hawthorn, A Bed Breakfast. Room Rates: Overnight accommodations range in price from $100 to $150 plus tax, and includes a full breakfast. Rates do not include local and state taxes. Reservations: Advance reservations are required. Cancellation: Five days' cancellation notice prior to your scheduled stay is required for a refund, less a $10 cancellation fee. Less than five days' notice will result in a refund only if we are able to re-book your room. Check-In: Plan on checking in between 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. If you will not be arriving during this time, please alert the Innkeeper. Check-Out: Check-out time is 11:00 a.m. Miscellaneous: For the safety and comfort of our guests, Hawthorn is a smoke-free facility. We regret that we cannot accommodate children under the age of ten as overnight guests. Gift certificates are available. Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted.

The Westminster Suite is a two-room suite named after Hawthorn's fourth owner, Westminster Presbyterian Church, who purchased the house in 1960 from Lottie Gillmor's children following her death. The church had previously acquired a portion of the property as a gift from Mrs. Gillmor in the 1950's, which later became the new location of the church. For the next forty years, Hawthorn served as administrative offices and educational space for the congregation. The room includes an eagle-clawed bathtub in a large bathroom with a uniquely tiled floor.

Web Sites of Local Interest. City of Independence Missouri- Department of Tourism. Experience Kansas City. Thomas Hart Benton Home Studio. Alexander Majors House. John Wornall Home Museum. Kauffman Stadium The Kansas City Royals. Arrowhead Stadium The Kansas City Chiefs. Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. NASCAR - Kansas Speedway. Ameristar Casino Hotel. The Community of Christ Church Headquarters (formerly RLDS Church). LDS Visitor's Center. William Jewell College. Union Station Science City

The Dining Room, 1925. The Dining Room, 2000. When the carpeting at Hawthorn was lifted to find hardwood floors still intact, a small circular hole was found in the dining room floor. Further investigation for the purpose of this hole discovered wiring to the kitchen. The hole was for a foot buzzer, designed for the hostess to notify service when a meal was to be served.

Directions to Hawthorn: Coming from the West such as from: Downtown Kansas City Topeka and points west. Coming from the East such as from: Coming from the North such as from: Kansas City Airport (MCI) St. Joseph Omaha Des Moines. Coming from the South such as from: Overland Park Olathe Wichita. Maps and Directions |

These images were color copied and provided to the Biblers from descendants of the L. Fred Evans family. Click on any image to see a larger view of the image. Photo album cover. Inscribed Hawthorne Country Home of L. Fred Evans Corner 16th St. and Overton Ave. near Kansas City Mo. Hawthorn dining room during Evans' ownership. Hawthorn 1st floor entry during Evans' ownership. The Music Room at the Evans' Hawthorn. The Parlor at the Evans' Hawthorn. A bedroom at the Evans' Hawthorn, now called. Photo of Hawthorn during Evans' ownership. Rebekah Field Evans, Grace Field Myers, Dr. Hannon Stokes, Caroline Field Stokes, unknown, unknown, unknown, L. Fred Evans. On front porch, next to sun porch at Hawthorn, Rebekah Evans Sellers, Colonel James M.(Mac) Sellers, unknown. Rebekah Field Evans and L. Fred Evans. Judge Richard Field (father of Rebekah Field Evans) in front of Hawthorn, circa mid-1920's. The house had an ivy growing up the outside facade. l. to r. Steve Sellers, Richard Evans, Dr. Hannon Stokes, Mac Sellers, Jr., Caroline Field Stokes, Colonel Mac Sellers, Rebekah Field Evans, L. Fred Evans, and Rebekah Evans Sellers, circa 1938. l. to r. Steve Sellers, Richard Evans, Dr. Hannon Stokes, Mac Sellers, Jr., Caroline Field Stokes, Hubert Field, Rebekah Field Evans, L. Fred Evans, Rebekah Evans Sellers, circa 1938. George Dickely, unknown, Fran Myers Dickely, Wentworth Myers, Ruth Myers, unknown, unkown, unknown, Colonel James M. (Mac) Sellers, Rebekah Evans Sellers on Hawthorn's grounds, circa 1920's. George Dickely and Fran Myers Dickely. l. to r. George Dickely, Francis Myers Dickely, Ruth Myers, and Wentworth Myers. Francis Dickely and Wentworth Myers were the niece and nephew of Rebekah Evans. l. to r. George Dickely, Francis Myers Dickely, Ruth Myers, Rebekah Field Evans, and Wenworth Myers in front of Hawthorn, circa late 1920's. Letter written by Bess Truman to Rebekah Field Evans on August 23, 1945, eleven days after Franklin D. Roosevelt died and Harry S. Truman was sworn in as President. Mr. and Mrs. Evans had long been acquainted with both the Wallace and Truman families. When Mrs. Evans died in 1957, Mr. Truman attended her graveside service at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence.

 Private park, garden, courtyard
 Quiet surroundings
 Private/Ensuite bathroom
 Phone at reception
 Patio, summer terrace