About this home

The landmark home located at 4425 Terrace Street, was designed by notable architect Phillip Drotts. The house was commissioned by Emil Rohrer, a cement contractor. Rumor was his prior home caught fire and his wife feared of this happening again. So, she asked her husband, since you are a cement contractor, why don’t we build our new home out of concrete. Thus, the birth of this unique, international-styled home in the West Plaza area. Phillip Drotts was a well-known architect who is best known in the Midwest – primarily Kansas City – for designing several hotels and churches in the area in the 1920s – 1930’s. His designs included: • The Broadway Baptist Church located at 3931 Washington Street • The Immanuel Lutheran Church at 4201 Tracy Street • The Blackstone Hotel, located at 9th and Locust • The Hotel Aladdin, located at 12 15 W. Wyandotte • Hotel LaSalle at 920 East Linwood Blvd. In addition, Drotts designed: • The Newbern Apartments, located at 523 East Amour Blvd. • The Nazarene Theological Center, located at 1700 Meyer Blvd. • And of course, his only residential design, 4425 Terrace Street, known at the Rohrer residence. The home, built in 1938, has had only 4 owners, a testament to the care, endurance, and attraction to this unique residence. Each owner who made this house their home, raised their families, created memories, and added their personal touches before passing it on to a new family, while always maintaining the home’s original integrity and vision of this well-known Kansas City architect.