KSHB 41 News reporter Braden Bates got this story through an email from the homeowners. When their home caught fire, KSHB 41 reported on it and its historic roots. Karen Gerhardt wanted the station to see the home as it reflects its former glory. Send Braden a story idea by e-mail.
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An 1800s home in Liberty that almost completely burned down in April 2024 has recently undergone a massive restoration effort.
The Gerhardts never could have imagined the phone call they got while on vacation.
"Your phone started blowing up. We were terrified someone died, and then you got a hold of my brother, and he said your house was on fire," Karen Gerhardt said as she recounted the day with her husband.
Kansas City Public Safety
Lightning strike likely to blame for fire at Liberty home built in 1842
Their dream house was said to have been struck by lightning, which ignited the fire. Three fire departments helped put out the blaze, but the Gerhardts said that because of the renovation throughout its 200-year lifespan, the home caused some unique challenges for firefighters.
"There were a number of interior attic spaces. So the fire department would chainsaw through the roof and spray the water, then there would be another roof in the way of where the fire was. So, it was burning for over an hour before they were able to contain it," Paul Gerhardt said.
After the fire was contained, the house sat in ruins with the interior taking the brunt of the flames.
But the day the Gerhardts received the phone call about their home was already one they weren't going to forget.
"So we found out we were pregnant with twins," said Karen Gerhardt.
In a moment of sadness and loss came the gift of life.
"There’s not a bigger emotional rollercoaster than learning about a pregnancy and then learning that your house burned down," Karen said.
But with the twins' arrival imminent, questions remained about what they saw as their family home.
There was one architectural piece that made the decision to restore the home rather than demolish it.
"To see a grand, almost circular staircase that was built in the mid-1800s is pretty remarkable, just from an engineering standpoint. It’s beautiful, and when we saw that survived the fire, we just thought, we gotta save the rest of the house," Karen said.
So the couple took the house down to the studs, saving as much as they could, including some doors, floors and the circular staircase. All while expecting twins.
"We immediately engaged with a man named Ken Personett, and he’s been reviving a lot of the old houses downtown, including some of the other fire-damaged homes. And so, we knew we wanted to work with him, and we needed to work with him," said Karen.
The home underwent significant restoration, with the couple attempting to recreate as much as they could, including 16-inch decorative baseboards.
Luckily, the home had historic roots.
"Since the house was a registered historic property, we were able to get extensive documentation on key architectural features of the house," said Paul.
Through pictures and historic documents, the Gerhardts were able to bring the home back to life, not only for them but for the Liberty community.
"We weren’t here when the fire hit, but the neighborhood came out, and everybody watched it burn kind of tragically, and sort of turned to us like, please save this," said Karen.
This Christmas in 2025, the Gerhardts got to celebrate with their now 1-year-old twins in their new yet historic family home for the first time.
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