The Sweeney Children’s Playground.
In addition to providing instruction from hundreds of young men at a time, Sweeney fathered a large family. The house and oversized lot at 5921 Ward Parkway was designed inside and out for use by children. This photo illustrates the large playground area intended for use by Sweeney’s eight children. The third floor of the large house consisted of a series of comparatively small bedrooms for the children.

Sweeney also developed the Santa Fe Hills subdivision between Wornall Road and Holmes south of 85th Street. Unfortunately, he suffered financial reverses after the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and had to sell the Ward Parkway house. The purchaser was lumber company owner Herbert Dierks. Mrs. Dierks willed the property to the Diocese of Kansas City and St. Joseph upon her death in the 1950s. It served as the official residence for the Bishop for several years. It is now once again in private ownership.

© WHMC-KC, University of Missouri