Harris-Kearney House
 Col. John Harris House | |
| Established | 1963 |
|---|---|
| Location | 4000 Baltimore Ave, Kansas City, Missouri, United States |
| Coordinates | 39°03′15″N 94°35′16″W / 39.05417°N 94.58778°WCoordinates: 39°03′15″N 94°35′16″W / 39.05417°N 94.58778°W |
| Website | Harris-Kearney House |
The Harris-Kearney House Museum is a historical site located in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Westport neighborhood. It is the oldest brick residence in the city.[1]
Originally, the house was at the intersection of modern-day Westport Road and Main Street (where Osco Drugstore is now).[2][3]
This brick mansion was built as a replacement for the 1845 Harris House, a log cabin inn owned by Col. John "Jack" Harris and his wife Henrietta.[4] The inn was considered integral to the neighborhood as an outfitting point on the Santa Fe Trail, and had providing lodging for explorers, trappers, Union soldiers, gold miners, and politicians.[4] The Harris House burned down in the late 1840s.[4]
Harris family (1855-1873)
Apparently devastated about the loss of the Harris House inn, local citizens loaned materials and labor to the Harris family to build a brick hotel replacement[4] The house was completed in 1855, with bricks formed of Missouri clay, kilned on the premises.[2] It operated as the Harris Hotel until the Civil War reached Missouri in 1861.[4] Union commanders took headquarters in the Harris Hotel until 1864.[5]
During the Civil War Battle of Westport in Oct. 1864, the Harris children reportedly watched the combat from the upper story windows of the home [5]
Kearney family (1873-1909)
_Kearney.jpg)
After Col. Harris died in 1873,[2] his daughter Josephine and son-in-law Col. Charles Kearney moved into the home. The Kearney family lived in the home until 1909 [2]
House neglected (1909-1976)
Threatened with razing in 1922, the mansion was moved in two parts, to its current location at 4000 Baltimore Avenue, one city block south.[6] The house opened as a historical museum, but was unprofitable and closed [6]
The house was sold in a public auction and acquired by a commercial developer.[6] The building was used as office space, but this venture also failed [6]
On Oct. 18, 1972, the Historic Harris-Kearney House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places <[6]
Modern day (1976-present)
The Westport Historical Society acquired the home and property in 1976 [3] and restored the exterior to its pre-Civil War facade. In 1979, the society received a $10,000 grant to finish the exterior renovations[7] When that was complete, the Women's City Club of Kansas City and The Colonial Dames of America social societies furnished the home with period-appropriate furniture, bedding, and antiques.[3]
The Westport Historical Society completed the home renovations in 2006, before opening it for public tours.[2] They offer reenactments, blacksmithing demonstrations, and other period education performances throughout the year [5]
References
- ↑ Visit Missouri "1855 Harris House" Retrieved Sept. 12, 2014
- 1 2 3 4 5 Westport Historical Society "Harris-Kearney House" Retrieved Sept. 12, 2014.
- 1 2 3 Simpson History "Henrietta Harris"
- 1 2 3 4 5 Coleman, Daniel (2008) "Biography of John Harris (1795-1874), Hotelier"] Kansas City Public Library, Missouri Valley Special Collections
- 1 2 3 Freedom's Frontier "1855 Harris-Kearney House Museum" Retrieved Sept. 12, 2014
- 1 2 3 4 5 Native Sons & Daughters of Kansas City "Historic Marker: Harris~Kearney House" Located at 40th Street & Baltimore Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. Placed in 1990.
- ↑ Missouri Valley Special Collections "$10,000 Grant Received for Further Restoration of Harris-Kearney House" May 1979.
External links
- Harris-Kearney House - Westport Historical Society