McLean House now on the market

The McLean House – Wichita’s historic pink granite house – is now on the market.

The split-level ranch house, which has a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, is listed at $370,000. It is at 2359 N. McLean Blvd.

The McLeans are one of the oldest, most prominent Wichita families. That’s McLean as in McLean Boulevard, McLean Bridge and McLean Science and Technology Magnet Elementary School.

The house was placed on the market by Angela McLean, the last of the family living in Wichita.

Benjamin McLean – Angela’s great-grandfather – served as Wichita’s mayor three times during the early 20th century and was president of Fourth National Bank.

He is credited with getting much of Riverside Park cleared of brush and being one of the first city officials to help beautify the riverbank area.

Elizabeth McLean is the reason I-235 curves where it does in northwest Wichita. Decades ago, when state and federal engineers wanted to route the I-235 bypass through the Benjamin Hills development, she protested – driving all the way to Topeka and sitting in Gov. Andrew Schoeppel’s office until he agreed to see her.

She named the residential development Benjamin Hills – afer her son who died in World War II – and built the historic house in 1956.

Claire Willenberg of the Willenberg Group is the Realtor for the house.

A description of the house reads: “The exterior features Etowah marble from a Georgia Quarry, considered to be the best American marble and the most durable home siding. The original house has a roof of crushed white cloud marble which reflects summer heat.”

The house has many of its original 1956 wall treatments, crystal chandeliers, hardwood floors, trim, picture windows and Etowah and white cloud marble accents, fireplaces and a platform for a grand piano or performance stage.

It has upper-level bedrooms with balcony access, three HVAC systems, cherry wood paneling, four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The pink marble house is one of a handful of marble homes in the nation and was constructed of 100 tons of marble installed by one of the craftsmen who worked on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

This story was originally published December 21, 2016 at 4:26 PM with the headline "McLean House now on the market."