Independence to make Ginger Rogers' birthplace a historic site

INDEPENDENCE, Mo. -- A city council in the suburbs of Kansas City wants to make Ginger Rogers' birthplace a historic landmark.

The Independence City Council will vote Sept. 15 on whether to make the dancer, singer and actress' birth home a landmark, qualifying it for historic preservation.

The home was built around 1900. The owners of the home applied for historic status in July 2002.

Landmark status allows the homeowner to do routine maintenance, but requires the Heritage Commission to approve any cosmetic or significant changes.

Rogers cited the home at 100 W. Moore as her birthplace in her 1991 autobiography, "Ginger: My Story." She returned to the city several times after rising to fame, including for "Ginger Rogers Day."