General

Restoring a Legacy: BCBSKS Invests in Historic Lawrence Landmark

For more than a century, the building at 645 New Hampshire in Lawrence has helped connect Kansans — first as a postal hub, then a newsroom. Today, it continues that legacy in a new way: as the Lawrence home of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas (BCBSKS).

Since purchasing the building in 2019, BCBSKS has embraced its role as caretaker of this historic space — the city’s first permanent post office and later the newsroom for the Lawrence Journal-World and 6News.

Now, BCBSKS is investing in the building’s future through a five-year restoration project launched in March to preserve the building’s historic character and ensure it stands ready to serve Kansans for generations to come.

“It’s a beautiful example of early 20th century architecture, with its brick facade, lamp posts, tall ceilings and windows. It’s a real treasure,” said Matt All, President/CEO. “I’m proud that we can be its steward and help restore some of its features. I think that’s part of being a truly local company — respecting and celebrating what makes each community unique.”

The restoration work is already catching the attention of many in the community. The Lawrence Preservation Alliance has awarded BCBSKS one of its 2025 Summer Preservation in Progress (PIP) Awards for the work taking place. PIP awards recognize those performing preservation work to improve a structure, promote preservation concepts or set the stage for future preservation efforts.

Window restoration nearing completion: This collaged image provided by Rick Reaves, Director, Facilities, shows the 645 New Hampshire building as it was around its 1906 construction (top left); the cream-trimmed windows as they appeared before restoration (lower left); and a rendering of the finished restoration work of one of the windows (right), with the trim in a charcoal hue to reflect the building’s origins.

Preserving the 1906 character

The first phase of renovations, which began in March, is focused on the exterior, including restoring the original wood windows and cleaning and repairing the masonry. Thanks to state and federal historic preservation tax credits — available to properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places — BCBSKS has been able to expand the scope of the work beyond what was originally planned, said Rick Reaves, Director, Facilities.

SDG Architecture + Interiors is working with BCBSKS, and Ken Price, Project Architect with SDG and formerly a state historic sites architect with the Kansas State Historic Preservation Office, has helped research the building’s history as the team works to make upgrades in keeping with the original character.

Aiding that process is not only the 2002 documentation from when the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places but also a trove of historic photos, several of which are represented in large-scale prints on the walls of the Lawrence office.

It was those photographs, particularly one showing a horse-drawn wagon outside the south side of the building, as well as analyzing the layers of paint and varnish on the windows, that led the team to return to a dark paint color for the exterior trim: a charcoal hue called “Black Magic.” A sable brown was chosen for the interior to mimic stained wood.

“We have evidence of many layers of paint and varnish that is being removed during the restoration,” Rick said, noting that BCBSKS is working with Pishny Restoration Services, of Lenexa, Kansas, which specializes in historic restoration and preservation and is doing the window and masonry work.

Early images of 645 New Hampshire

This postcard image shows the U.S. Post Office in Lawrence, before its first expansion.
This image is believed to be the earliest known photo of the U.S. Post Office in Lawrence. A copy of this image hangs in the Heritage conference room in the building.
Another postcard image of the U.S. Post Office building in Lawrence, as viewed from the southeast.
This image from SDG Architects + Interiors shows the work to uncover and document the original finish of the building’s wooden windows and illustrates how many coats of paint were involved in peeling back the historic layers.

From exterior to interior: The work ahead

In addition to the newly repainted window trim, the exterior of the building is getting some updates, Rick shared, including:

  • Washing the building and repairing any damaged masonry.
  • Reconditioning of the two front entry lamp posts.
  • Replacing a damaged front step and resetting the other granite slabs to bring back the original tread.
  • Rebuilding the foundation of the three exterior staircases (south and east sides of the building).
  • Updating railings with hardware accurate to the time period.
  • Uncovering the brass elements of the outdoor lighting sconces.

With the exterior work on a timeline toward project completion by the end of 2025, attention is turning inward.

Discussions are still underway about potential interior updates. Mitch Sexton, Manager, Facilities Projects, said interior upgrades will likely include painting, patching and refinishing flooring, and dropping some interior lighting lower to match historic photos, but decisions are still being made about any potential changes to the space configuration. Currently the main floor consists of hotel desks in a large open atrium, surrounded by offices.

Sales and executive staff are among those who work in the building regularly. In addition to desks for workers to drop in and use, the building also includes several conference rooms to support meetings, regional collaboration and hybrid work.

Mitch has spent many hours in the Lawrence building since its purchase and counts this project as among his favorites in his time at BCBSKS.

“It’s almost like the building is living and breathing,” Mitch said. “You can’t help but love that building.”

The date of this image is unknown, but it shows the operations of the post office in the early 1900s, with a view facing toward the southwest corner of the building.
Another image on display in the Lawrence office shows a later view of the post office operations, including updated light fixtures and ceiling fans.

Historic foundations

Built at a cost of $60,000, under the direction of James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the U.S. Treasury, the post office was the first federal building in Lawrence and was secured for the city by Congressman J.D. Bowersock, a prominent local businessman. At the time of its opening, it was the fourth busiest post office in the state.

It was designed in the Beaux Arts style, which emerged from Paris, France, and took hold in the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Its symmetrical features and decorative elements were characteristic of public buildings at the time.

“They wanted to symbolize its importance in society and represent a stable government,” Ken said. “If you look at any government building from the ‘20s or ‘30s and earlier, it’s always done in a style that indicates it’s going to stand for a long time.”

The building served as Lawrence’s post office until 1973, then was owned by the University of Kansas and its Continuing Education department until September 2001, when it became home to the Lawrence Journal-World and 6News newsrooms. BCBSKS purchased the building in 2019 to relocate its disaster recovery site from Topeka.

“When we learned that the old post office was on the market, we realized that we could do so much more than just have a disaster recovery site,” Matt said. “We could put down roots in the heart of Lawrence and give employees a great place to work. These kinds of opportunities don’t come around very often, and we jumped at it.”

A legacy of stewardship

The building has been expanded over the years from its initial 1906 footprint. The application for the National Register of Historic Places indicates an addition to the post office took place in the 1930s – expanding the building to the north – and the newspaper added space in the early 2000s, at the time it was rehabilitating the building for its new offices.

“We’ve had good owners through the years. They’ve taken care of it, they’ve respected it, and when they’ve added to it, they’ve respected what was there,” Ken said.

That love and care for the building continues with BCBSKS, the state’s largest and only locally owned health plan in Kansas, a not-for-profit serving over 1 million members.

“I hope we give employees a great place to work in downtown Lawrence and a sense of pride that we’re doing our part to preserve a piece of Lawrence and Kansas history,” Matt said. “And I hope the Lawrence community sees that we truly love our state, from small towns to cities like Lawrence. When you do your work from a place of love and respect for your community, great things are possible.”

The restoration of 645 New Hampshire is more than a construction project — it’s a reflection of the BCBSKS commitment to honoring the past while building a healthier future for all Kansans.

Sources:

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: U.S. Post Office, 645 New Hampshire; 045-3010-02290_2.pdf

National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Lawrence’s Downtown Historic District (page 39); Douglas_LawrenceDowntownHistoricDistrictNR.pdf

“Windows on Lawrence 1855-1961,” Lawrence Journal-World special edition.

Of note: The $60,000 cost of the original building translates to approximately $2.1 million in 2025 dollars, according to this CPI inflation calculator. 

Amy Bauer, Senior Corporate Communications Specialist