Westport Historical Society KC - 1855 Harris-Kearney House Museum

08/21/2026

08/16/2026

Sharing some pictures of our “little visitors” this morning at The Harris-Kearney House Museum!

We will be open tomorrow, Sunday, August 16 from 1 PM to 4 PM for historic tours of the home. Please stop by for a tour. We look forward to meeting you.!

08/15/2026

The signs were there all along! 👀

Come meet the real beauty of Westport—the historic 1855 Harris–Kearney House! Guided tours are available every Saturday and Sunday from 1–4 p.m., unless otherwise stated on our website or page.

Purchase your tour tickets here:
https://westporthistoricalkc.org/tours/

08/10/2026

Did you know the Harris-Kearney House is older than the state of Kansas?

The historic home was built in 1855, six years before Kansas became a state in 1861.

At the time, Kansas City looked very different from the city we know today. The region sat at the edge of the American frontier, Westport was a bustling community, and travelers heading west passed through the area on their journeys along the Santa Fe, Oregon, and California trails.

The Harris family was part of that rapidly changing world. Their home survived a remarkable period of American history — including the turbulent years along the Missouri-Kansas border and the Civil War — and remains standing more than 170 years later.

Today, the Harris-Kearney House gives us something photographs and history books can’t quite replicate: the opportunity to actually step inside a home from that era.

The next time you drive through modern-day Westport, remember — some of the buildings around you have been watching Kansas City grow for generations.

✨ History isn’t just something we read about. Sometimes, it’s still standing.

08/09/2026

FAMOUS FACES OF WESTPORT

Albert Gallatin Boone 1806-1884

Albert Gallatin Boone was the grandson of famous American explorer Daniel Boone. He was born in Kentucky and at a young age moved to Missouri with his family. He became proficient with Indigenous languages and learned how to speak Osage.

He learned how to become a fur trapper and to trade with tribes and soon worked as a clerk at a trading post trading with the Indigenous. He then married and moved his family to Western, Missouri settling in Westport.

Together with his brother-in-law James Hamilton they purchased from the Ewing brothers the trading post on the northwest corner of Pennsylvania and Westport Road in 1851. Here they supplied settlers moving west with wagons, food, provisions and animals.
The business was very profitable.

After The Kansas Nebraska act and the chaos that ensued on the border, Boones life and reputation suffered for being a supporter of the Border Ruffians. In 1861 he decided to sell his business to frontiersman Robert Campbell and his home to trapper explorer James Bridger.

He then accepted a position as an agent for the southwestern tribes and moved his family to Colorado and passed away there in 1884.

For more of his story or other famous people of Westport please join us at the 1855 Harris Kearney house in old Westport. We are open today for tours from 1:00pm-4:00pm. Hope to see you there!

Sources: Findagrave, Legends of America

08/02/2026

What was once one of the liveliest locations in Old Westport was the "Harris House" hotel that once stood on the northeast corner of Westport Road and Pennsylvania. The hotel was purchased by John "Jack" Harris in 1847 and was originally a wood structure that burned down several years later.

The hotel was rebuilt as a 3-story hotel made of brick and reopened in 1853 boasting over 26 rooms. There were many famous travelers who passed thru Westport in its heyday and stayed at the hotel. Kit Carson, Horace Greeley, John C. Fermont, Sen. Thomas Hart Benton and Washington Irving were among the famous travelers who stayed here.

The hotel was managed by John and his wife Henrietta whose Southern cooking was famous and attracted many people to the hotel as a place to dine. During the Civil War the infamous Order #11 forced the Harris family to vacate the hotel & relocate their family to their Son-In-Law and Daughters home at 6th & Main in downtown Kansas City. In 1864 the Union Army occupied the hotel & during the "Battle of Westport" Union commanders viewed the action from the rooftop of the hotel.

After the war many people left Westport and the hotel fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 1922.

For more of the story please stop by for a tour today. We have more photos and information to share. We are open from 1:00pm-4:00pm today and look forward to seeing you.

Source: WHS research library

08/01/2026

Have you ever noticed the brass plaque embedded in the front walkway outside the front gate?

It is special to the Westport Historical Society and the Harris-Kearney House Museum.

We wanted to RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE a formerly enslaved African-American woman, Harriet “Hattie” Drisdom Kearney.

“Hattie’s Stopping Stone” is a hand-stamped brass plaque honoring her sacrifices, noting the historical context and memorializing her and her importance to the Kearney family. Hattie’s Stopping Stone was placed in the front walkway of the Harris-Kearney House on September 27, 2018.

Hattie began her journey with the Kearneys at age 9. She lived the rest of her life, long after emancipation, with the Kearney family and is buried in the Kearney family plot at Historic Union Cemetery.

To learn more about Hattie and the history of Westport and Old Kansas City come visit us at the Harris-Kearney House Museum.

The Harris-Kearney House Museum is open for tours Saturdays and Sundays from 1pm to 4pm unless indicated otherwise on our website.

07/31/2026

This photo of the Harris Kearney House dates to 1922 when work began on excavating the hillside where the house originally stood. This view is of the east side of the home (Facing Main Street). The house faced slightly to the northwest with the front of the house facing Westport Road.

The house was moved to make way for development along the Main Street corridor.

To get the house ready for the move the soil was removed with steam shovels and manual labor. All of the soil had to be removed to get the property excavated down to street grade and ready for new construction.

There are more photos such as this on display at the Harris Kearney House in Old Westport. Please come see us. The house is open for tours this Saturday and Sunday from 1:00pm-4:00pm.

Source: WHS research library collection

07/28/2026

📚 Calling All Teachers & Educators! 🍎

Looking for a field trip that brings Kansas City history to life?

The Westport Historical Society invites teachers to plan a visit to the historic Harris-Kearney House! 🏠

Give your students the opportunity to step beyond the textbook and experience local history firsthand. A field trip to the Harris-Kearney House offers a unique look at life in early Kansas City and the people, places, and stories that helped shape our community.

Whether you’re planning for the upcoming school year or looking ahead for a special history experience, we’d love to welcome your class!

📅 Teachers: Now is a great time to start planning your field trip!

Interested in bringing your students? Reach out to the Westport Historical Society to learn more about scheduling a visit.

Help us inspire the next generation of Kansas City history lovers! ❤️

07/26/2026

Often when giving tours of the Harris Kearney house visitors are amazed to know that when the home was first built in 1855 it consisted of only two upstairs bedrooms, a grand staircase. a parlor and dining room. There was no kitchen in the house for preparing meals. It was in a separate structure behind the main house. Most southern plantations were constructed in this way.

There were several reasons for this. Obviously, the main reason was for the prevention of fire to the house. Also to manage the extreme heat that cooking fires create. This heat would have made the inside temperatures of the house unbearable in the summer heat. Another was the reduction of soot, odors and pests such as flies caused by cooking inside the main house.

Meals were prepared by the enslaved cooks or domestic workers and for social class the wealthy preferred to keep them separated from the families living and dining areas. The kitchen was also considered a messy and noisy workspace.

If you have not visited this lovely old home yet, we will be open for tours today from 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Come take a step back in time in this beautiful well preserved old home in the heart of Westport.
Hope to see you there!