Rial A. Niles House

What is Rial A. Niles House?

The house follows the Italianate style. Its hip roof is crowned with a cupola, four brick chimneys rise above it, and the front porch has decorative wooden posts joined by arches. Inside, local artist Jordan Wood has filled the rooms with hand-painted pictures and murals.

History of Rial A. Niles House

Niles built the house in 1870 but later went bankrupt. In 1875 it was bought by Colonel William March, a Union Army officer who served twice as the Baxter Springs postmaster. March had to give it up after his wife died in 1902, and it went through a string of tenants into the 1930s.

From 1938 the town's Women's Club rented it for meetings and social events, staying until the club broke up in 1956. The local Episcopal congregation then bought it and used it as St. Mark's Episcopal Church; that congregation broke up as well in 1977, and the building went back to being a residence. It joined the National Register on September 6, 2006. From 2020 to 2023 a major renovation, led by resident Geoffery Roberts, saved the house and returned it to its period look.

Visiting Rial A. Niles House: tips

The inside is used for events, so unless you are attending one, enjoy the house from the street. It pairs well with other Baxter Springs stops: the Baxter Springs Independent Oil and Gas Service Station is about 0.4 mile away and the Johnston Library about 0.5 mile. The Rainbow Bridge is about 3.5 miles away.