These steps led up to Rosedale High School. There are or were 180 steps to climb up from the Rosedale neighborhood to the high school. The property up on Mount Marty was donated for a high school in 1905 to the city of Rosedale. The school pictured was built in 1906. The stairs were built along with the school according to the article linked here.
http://www.kckpl.l...t/thennow/TN50.htm