Moving Day: Original Pizza Hut Building Relocates On Wichita State Campus

KMUW | By Nadya Faulx

Published September 18, 2017 at 5:12 PM CDT

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The building drives past workers as it approaches its final destination on Innovation Campus.

Nadya Faulx / KMUW

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Onlookers watch as the building makes it way across the WSU campus.

Nadya Faulx / KMUW

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It took a flatbed truck and five workers to move the 81,000-pound building.

Nadya Faulx / KMUW

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Dan Carney, in the back seat, watches the move.

Nadya Faulx / KMUW

Crews moved the original Pizza Hut building Monday morning from the southern end of Wichita State University to its new home on Innovation Campus.

A crew member walks alongside the Pizza Hut building as it travels to its new location.

The one-mile move took more than an hour to complete—and with good reason.

“It’s 81,000 pounds, I believe is what they have right now," explained James Martinez, the superintendent of Crossland Construction. "With the beams and everything."

Martinez said in his 20 years in the business, he’s never moved a building.

A flatbed truck carried the brick building to what’s now its third home: The historical landmark was originally built at Kellogg and Bluff.

Pizza Hut co-founder Dan Carney accompanied the building on its trek. He and his brother Frank started the company in Wichita back in 1958.

Pizza Hut co-founder Dan Carney, center, watches as the building is backed up to its new foundation.

"It was a great time," Carney said. "I was like, 26 years old, and all the rest of my employees were younger than that. We had a really good time building it."

The building will be turned into a museum full of Pizza Hut memorabilia.

“I think it’s a recognition of the company and the people who built the company," Carney said.

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