INDEPENDENCE, KAN. ? Gov. Alf Landon loved his three-story Independence home so much that he featured it on a flier promoting his failed 1936 presidential candidacy.

Now, his stately home is in danger of being torn down to make way for a Walgreens drugstore, a prospect that’s raising opposition from historic preservation advocates.

“On balance, we believe the Landon home should be preserved,” said Norman Chambers, chairman of the Historic Preservation and Resource Commission in this southeast Kansas town. “I think what we lose is the opportunity to preserve a historic site for a presidential candidate.”

But Walgreens officials say the site — at the edge of downtown, near the confluence of several highways — meets their needs. And they promise to find a way to honor Landon’s legacy at that location.

“We know that area has a long history,” said Brodie Bertrand, a spokesman for the fast-growing Illinois-based retailer. “Our developer is working with the community to help commemorate that history.”

The history stretches back to 1915, when John Landon bought the home at 300 W. Maple St. for his newly married son, Alf. After World War I, Alf Landon lived in the home until he was elected governor in 1932. The Republican ran against incumbent President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1936 — using the home on the cover of a flier urging voters to “Know Landon as his neighbors know him” — and lost in a then-record landslide.

After the defeat, Landon made his home in Topeka, where he became a revered GOP elder statesman visited by presidents and called upon for advice by younger politicians, including his daughter, former U.S. Sen. Nancy Kassebaum Baker, until his death in 1987.

Faded history

Over time, the Independence home’s link to history was mostly forgotten.

“It’s never been recognized as a landmark,” said Phillip Chappuie, mayor of Independence, population 9,846. “There are some locals who know what it is, but that’s as far as it goes.”

In his 1936 presidential campaign, Alf Landon published this flier depicting his beloved home in Independence, Kan. Now Walgreens wants to demolish the house to build a new store.

Historic preservation advocates say three attempts were made to list the home on the state and national registers of historic places. The owner, Mattie Jo McKenzie, resisted the efforts. The Journal-World was unable to locate McKenzie for comment.

These days, even historic preservationists say the house is in less-than-pristine condition, though hardly crumbling.

Despite its condition, “it’s easily eligible” for the historic registers, said Christy Davis, assistant director of the cultural resources division at the Kansas State Historical Society. “It’s of national significance.”

Word of the home’s history began to spread around town last week, Chappuie said, after the state historical society featured a story about Walgreens’ proposal in its latest statewide newsletter.

“Now that people are becoming more aware of what the intentions are, some lines are being delineated here pretty quickly,” the mayor said.

Landon’s grandson, state Rep. Bill Kassebaum, R-Burdick, was unaware of the demolition proposal until the Journal-World contacted him.

“I don’t know what condition the house is in,” Kassebaum said. “It would seem to me there’s quite a few (other) places you could put a Walgreens.”

Biographical information on Alf Landon New York Time obituary on Landon

Historic battle looms

Because the home is near other properties on the national register — there are 10 such sites in Independence and at least three within a few blocks of the Landon house — Walgreens must receive approval from the state historic preservation officer before going ahead with demolition. That request is expected to be turned down in early September, but the three-member Independence City Commission has the power to overrule such a determination.

“I don’t know how they feel about it,” Davis said. “I can tell you they have a track record of overturning our every decision.”

Chappuie said he hoped it didn’t come to that.

“I think there’s probably going to be some (other) options to look at,” Chappuie said. “Anybody hates to see a historic site disappear.”

But there are other considerations.

“Certainly, (business) competition’s good,” he said. “New buildings provide a little extra tax base sometimes. And if they create extra sales, that’s always good for the city.”

Chambers agreed.

“There is a desire to have traffic to come downtown. This would be an asset to the downtown in that sense,” he said. “That doesn’t override the significance, in my opinion, of the Landon home.”

In any case, Walgreens isn’t interested in finding another location.

“We weren’t aware of the historical significance of the site,” Walgreens’ Bertrand said, but added: “We’re very interested in the site, so we’d like to go ahead with it and continue our plans.”

Historic preservationists worry a significant piece of the state’s past will be lost.

“You can mark your community as the home of Alf Landon,” Davis said. “But if the house isn’t there, you have nothing to connect to.”