09/11/2026
Today is a pretty big day for KU | The University of Kansas football! 🏈
With KU taking on Missouri, we thought it was a good time for a little Lawrence history lesson.
The House Building, where Ruff House Paperie, Ruff House Print Shop letterpress studio (and our neighbors at J.Lynn Bridal) live today, was built between 1858–1860 and is one of only four commercial buildings that survived Quantrill’s Raid on Lawrence in 1863.
And there’s a pretty wild story behind it!
At the time of the raid, Jacob House was running his clothing store in the building. Quantrill’s men entered the store, took goods, and forced House at gunpoint to help guide them around Lawrence. Somehow, the building itself survived while so much of the surrounding town was burned.
The House Building is now the only one of those four commercial buildings still standing!!
So, naturally, we had to draw our little corner of Mass and give this building a little moment today. It’s pretty crazy to think about how much history happened right here, and that we get to work inside it every day.
Anyway… Rock Chalk. ❤️💛💙
