HISTORY OF THE INN:
c. 1892
Ground breaking for St. John's College; Winfield, KS
College named after Mrs. Baden's favorite apostle. The elder Addie Baden (J.P.'s wife) is on the far right. Martin Baden (J.P. & Addie's son) is in the light suit in the middle w/ the shovel and Martin's Daughter (also Addie) is the child. The College began operations in 1893. J.P. donated $50,000 in 1892 to establish the College. It was in operation for almost 100 years & upwards of 10,000 students graduated.
c. 1885
Baden Mills; Winfield, KS
This was a large complex of buildings (see just a part of that comlex off to the very far right). This was a flour mill w/ a capacity of 600 barrels of flour per day. It was powered with both water & in the event of low or no water, was also powered w/ steam (via coal fired boilers).
c. 1887
Baden Mansion; Winfield Kansas
At about 5,000 sq. ft, this was certainly a mansion of the day costing around $25,000 to erect. The back of this photo (see picture below this one) says, "Grandmother and Grandfather Baden on porch at 1203 East 9th when house was surrounded by picket fence. Martin W. Baden in wagon holding reins. Ernest on porch. Probably 1887? Or 1895?"
c. 1885
John Peter Baden
c. 1920
Addie Baden (Martin's daughter, J.P.'s grand daughter) w/ harp. Rumor had it that she wasn't particularly musically inclined and she loved to play harp in the high school band. The other kids weren't particularly crazy about having her in the band with them, but since she was a student and she owned the harp, there wasn't much they could do . . .
c. 1900
Baden Mansion
1203 East Ninth Avenue
Winfield, KS 67156
Still with picket fence. The antique iron fence that surrounds the Inn now is not original to the property. The picket fence was original to the house and one of its purposes was to keep cows belonging to some of the neighbors from grazing in the yard!
c. 1910
The terraced and elegantly landscaped side yard at Baden Mansion. Girl in the yard is J.P.s grand daughter (Martin's daughter), Addie.
c. 1935
In the 1930s all of the original porches were removed and there was a remodel done to Baden Mansion giving it a grand colonial appearance. The west porch (on the opposite side of the house in the photo below) was glassed in to create more interior space. During the renovation, the wooden picket fence was removed and an old-fashioned iron fence was installed. Around 1920, Martin built a house and that house is immediately east of this one. (Photo of Martin's house below). The iron fence visible in the photos below extends all the way around both houses (J.P.'s and Martin's). The same iron fence is still in place today.
c. 1935
c. 1935
c. 1920
Martin Baden's House
1200 Block East Ninth Avenue
Winfield KS 67156
Today this house still stands on the east side of J.P.'s original house and the iron fence put in place in the renovation in the 1930s goes around both houses.
Martin's house was built c. 1920.
c. 1972
The Baden home was purchased from Addie Baden (grand daughter of original owner) and converted into a bed and breakfast Inn, the Iron Gate Inn. The year was 1972 and this photo came from the newspaper article about its grand opening as a B&B. The Inn has been in continuous operation for 40 years this year, making it one of the longest continuously running B&Bs in the State of Kansas.
c. 2010
Baden Mansion, now Iron Gate Inn
1203 East Ninth Avenue
Winfield, KS 67156
