Endangered:

Kirwin Building

The Brewster post office building and senior center share the first floor of The Kirwin building. Easily one of the oldest buildings in Brewster, it has stood firmly at the corner of Main St. and Kansas Ave. since 1919. Originally a limestone school house in Kirwin, Kansas—built in 1880—it was disassembled and the bricks moved to Brewster, Kansas to begin a new life. The large unassuming square building has served its community as a general store, hardware store, a church, a liquor store, and The Brewster Opera House. The original stage, dance floor, and scenery still reside on the unoccupied second level.

Unfortunately, time has started to take its toll on the Main St. monument. The roof has been damaged by the harsh prairie winds, the limestone eroded by snow and rain, and other common ailments that come with more than 100 years of service to a small rural community. My family has cared for the building for nearly half that time. But the upkeep has started to become too much for the last of us—my aging father, mother, and myself. I want so much to restore this building to its former glory, but I’ve been running out of ideas and funds. I’m writing to the KPA in hopes of finding any guidance or support on how best to preserve this rich icon of rural western Kansas.