“Buildings are more than works of art and engineering,” architectural historian George Ehrlich once wrote, “they are incomparable documents in the history of the city.”

Since its formation in 1970, Kansas City’s Historic Preservation Commission (originally called the Landmarks Commission) has encouraged and promoted the preservation of historic structures and districts. It published a 1979 guidebook, Kansas City: A Place in Time, chronicling not only the city’s architectural history and historic buildings but also the passage of time and people through the structures left behind.

Preservationist Bradley Wolf, KC’s historic preservation officer for more than 17 years, discusses a recently released second edition of the book that highlights additional structures — from recognizable landmarks to small neighborhood stores, gas stations, and other sites that make up the city’s historic fabric.