The posted coordinates should land you near a doorway where '4638 and Millcreek Building' appear above the door. This is where the story begins.
Opening in March 1923, the Mill Creek Building (originally the Suydam Building) was the first building built for the Country Club Plaza. It was designed by the Plaza’s leading architect Edward Buehler Delk, echoing the charm from older, Spanish inspired Californian buildings with detailed accents. Original “CCP” branded medallions are still visible within the detailed bands. The building was originally named for one of its first tenants, the Suydam Decorating Company, and housed other businesses that offered goods and services that catered to the affluent patrons from surrounding Nichol’s developed neighbors and those arriving by car.
Looking northwest at the Suydam Building accompanied by the Sinclair filling station to the south c. 1923
Backstory:
Designed by Edward Buehler Delk, the Suydam Building was the first building built for the Country Club Plaza, opening in March 1923. Situated on the block to the north of what was the only structure to predate the shopping district, Chandler Landscape and Floral Company (1916), the Suydam Building offered goods and services for the residents of the newly developed Nichols neighborhoods and patrons arriving by automobile. The building offered six business spaces, and was named for one of its first tenants, the Suydam Decorating Company which featured high end home furnishings. Other early occupants included Claude Keyes Drug Store; a dry cleaner; the portrait studio of photographer E. Blanche Reincke; Mrs. M. C. Chisholm’s, a millinery and sportswear shop; and Marinello Beauty Shop, which advertised being Kansas City’s first salon to get a “permanent wave”.
Service-oriented businesses quickly found the Plaza to be advantageous due to its proximity to Nichol’s newly-built, affluent neighboring suburbs and ease of accessibility by car. The same block to the Suydam Building housed the Plaza Garage, which offered 144 parking spaces and tire and battery charging services, as well as two of the Plaza’s first service stations; a Sinclair filling station on the south and White Eagle Oil and Refining Company on the north. The Ford dealership Barker-Hurley Motor Company opened the following year.
Edward Delk designed the Suydam Building to echo the charm of old Californian buildings and included ornate Spanish detail. It features a stucco façade with a low pitched roof of apricot and Indian-red toned clay shingles, ornate cornice detail, glazed tiles containing blue, red, green and yellow accents, and metal balconies on the second level. Horizontal bands of polychromed terra cotta wrap around the building, separating the first and second levels, and contain “CCP” branded medallions accompanied by what appear to be dragons. Additional structure was later added to the north side of the building, on the site of what was the White Eagle filling station.
A Tradition is Born:
The tradition of the Plaza Lights started here at the Suydam building (Mill Creek Building) in 1925. The shops decided to decorate for the holiday, lining the sidewalks with small Christmas trees, and Plaza leasing manager Charles Pitrat hung a single strand of lights above the building's doorway. This humble sixteen light string was the beginning of what you see today. The first time the Plaza featured continuously strung outdoor lights was in 1928 on the newly opened Plaza Theater and its accompanying 72 foot tower. However, it wasn’t until the following year when colored bulbs lined all of the buildings on the Plaza, showcasing their unique architecture and starting the annual tradition of the Season of Lights. In 1930, the first Plaza Lighting Ceremony took place. Every year on Thanksgiving night, the Plaza Lighting Ceremony kicks off with performances and celebration. At 6:52pm the switch is flipped, turning on the colorful lights strung around every building, then ends with a fireworks display. The lights shine nightly through mid-January.
To log this virtual cache you need to complete the four objectives below:
1 - Send a message or email with: A Kansas City Tradition GCAJG3K, on the first line.
2 - What was the first year the Plaza featured continuously strung outdoor lights?
3 - At the posted coordinates you will see a doorway with "Millcreek Building" above it. Between there and the street is a tree with a metal grate surrounding it. Send the information stamped on the grate. Do not post your answers in your log.
4 - Post a photo of yourself or a personal item, with your log, showing the doorway in the background.
Virtual Rewards 4.0 - 2024-2025
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between January 17, 2024 and January 17, 2025. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 4.0 on the Geocaching Blog.