A two-story house, pointy at the top and painted red like a child’s drawing, is in the spotlight in Leavenworth. It stands out for its warm color, popping against the foliage wrapping it. Just under its peak, a large yellow butterfly hangs from a shingle. Matching the black, barnesque door are dark holes where windows used to be. The siding and shutters are peeling. Boards cover upper-floor windows and have been up long enough to grow mold. The vegetation surrounding the building threatens to swallow it whole. The nicknamed “Butterfly House” isn’t known today for its storybook facade; it’s an example of a big problem plaguing Kansas: abandoned, dilapidated buildings rotting in communities in desperate need of affordable housing. Knowing this, members of the Kansas Housing Advocacy Network decided to experiment.
Read more: KLC Journal
