Harris Kearney House

Harriet “Hattie” Drisdom Kearney was just eleven years old when she was auctioned and purchased for $1,300 in 1855 by Col. Charles E. Kearney and his family. According to local lore, Hattie was the only slave ever purchased by Colonel Kearney, and though it was said that he had not intended to buy any slaves, Kearney nevertheless bought Harriet in order to save her from another man. Two years later, in 1857, she was given her freedom. Instead of leaving, she chose to stay with her new family. Hattie was the first African-American to be buried in the “white section” of Union Cemetery.

On September 27, 2018, a brass plaque, hand-stamped with the name Harriet “Hattie” Drisdom Kearney, was installed on the property of the Harris Kearney House as part of the Stopping Stones arts initiative, a project designed to recognize and celebrate enslaved African-Americans.

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The Harris-Kearney House was originally built in 1855 by the enslaved people who were owned by the Harris family, and it is the oldest brick residential building in Kansas City.

The original owner of the Harris-Kearney house, John Harris, is credited as being one of the main protagonists in the creation of Westport. He was a businessman who opened the famous Harris Hotel in 1845. The hotel housed migrants traveling West. During the Civil War both the Harris Hotel and the Harris-Kearney House were occupied by Union soldiers. After John Harris’s passing in 1873, the Harris-Kearney house was inherited by Charles Kearney.

Charles Kearney was an Irish immigrant, excellent tradesman, and successful businessman in Kansas City. He invested in land to sell when the area’s industrial and manufacturing sectors grew, created unique grocery stores, and helped Kansas City become an important commercial hub with the construction of a bridge for rail across the Missouri River.

In 1854, Charles Kearney bought an enslaved girl named Harriet “Hattie” Drisdom Kearney for $1,300. Hattie was set free two years later. Her freedom, while welcomed, did not save her from the harshness of society. Hattie was set free just 5 years before the Civil War and 7 years before the emancipation proclamation. With few options, Hattie chose to stay with the Kearney family as their employed housekeeper until her death in 1927. Hattie became the first African American to be buried in the “White Only” section of the Union Hill Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.

The home was originally built on what is now Westport Road and Main Street. It was relocated in 1922, after nearly being razed, to its current location at 4000 Baltimore Avenue. It is now home to the Westport Historical Society.

Bibliography

Coleman, Daniel. Biography of Charles E. Kearney (1820-1898), Outfitter. 2008. Web. https://kchistory.org/islandora/object/kchistory%3A115312?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=caf6740f6c3ecc27bccc&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=19&search=harris-kearney

Coleman, Daniel. Biography of John Harris (1795-1874), Hotelier. 2008. Web. https://kchistory.org/islandora/object/kchistory%3A115274?solr_nav%5Bid%5D=402dd93287ebf03b9306&solr_nav%5Bpage%5D=0&solr_nav%5Boffset%5D=6&search=john%2520harris

“Harris Home.” Missouri Valley Room. Vertical File: Residences – Harris Home.

Harris-Kearny House. 1920. SC30-8A, Box 4, Folder 3, Number 20. Photograph.

Kansas City Park and Recreation. “Walking Tour of Union Cemetery.” Pp2. Web. https://kcparks.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Walking-Tour-Map-of-Union-Cemetery.pdf

Westport Historical Society. “Harris-Kearney House.” 2019. Web. https://www.westporthistorical.com/harris-kearney-house

Westport Historical Society. “People of Westport.” 2019. Web. https://www.westporthistorical.com/people-of-westport

Westport Historical Society. “Stopping Stones Installation Ceremony.” 2018. Web. https://www.westporthistorical.com/single-post/2018/09/19/STOPPING-STONES-ARTS-INTIATIVE-HONORS-ENSLAVED-WOMAN

Whitney, Carrie Westlake. Kansas City, Missouri: Its History and Its People. 1908. Q997.8411 W61. V2, pp249-251. Print.

Additional Content Provided by

Brenna Kiu, student at the University of Missouri Kansas City as part of Dr. Sandra Enriquez’s Urban History Class.

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