EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The historic House of Capper was completely rebuilt just in time for the 2023 Kansas State Fair.
The $1.2 million project was announced during the 2021 fair and was completed this summer. Originally built in 1916, Executive Director for the Kansas Fairgrounds Foundation James Fisher said the board decided to keep the original design of the house for the rebuild.
"Yesterday on the fairgrounds, when I was going by the Capper Project you could just see the people that were walking through and stopping at the story boards and reading the signs," said Fisher."Kind of enjoying and getting to learn more about what was happening."
Connected to the new building is the Capper Cooperative Park which tells the story about Arthur Capper, former Kansas governor and U.S. Senator. Capper co-authored the Volstead Act of 1922 that made agriculture co-ops legal in the United States.
"It allows for a lot of people to walk through and learn about things that are going on in their community from a cooperative standpoint," Fisher said.
The educational park also has an audio tour on the foundation website. The primary contractor for the House of Capper was Wiens Construction of Hutchinson.
The fair will be making an announcement on plans for the new foundation event venue soon.
More information about the House of Capper is available at ksfairgroundsfoundation.org
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