About The Barn
The Yellow Rock Barn is a historic three story barn with a long history and central location in the KC Metro. The barn overlooks the rolling hills of Teetering Rocks Golf Course and includes a large hardwood dance floor and banquet room. It is a locally owned and operated company, specializing in weddings along with corporate, family community and themed events.
The history of the barn
In the early 1900's the property which once took up 60 acres (now 4.5) flourished under the ownership of Dr. and Mrs. Kelly Harrison who had a very large chicken farm. With Mrs. Harrison's love for cooking and amiable personality, the farm soon became a destination - the famous "Harrison Restaurant".
Every Sunday Mrs. Harrison rose early to cook her famous chicken dinners, which consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, cooked vegetables (picked fresh from the garden that morning) and home made biscuits with hand churned butter. For dessert she would make up one of her renowned apple pies, with apples picked fresh from the orchard. Most of the food served was sourced from the property.
Customers came from all over the countryside to visit with Mrs. Harrison while she told her stories and prepared their meals. The restaurant grew to become the eating place of many prominent businessmen including Judge Harry S. Truman and the Waggoner family of the "Waggoner Gates Milling Company".
In 1925, Mrs. Harrison put two of her hired hands, former stone masons, to work constructing the stone house, rock barn and other smaller buildings. The Johnson brothers cut and laid each stone by hand from the farm's own rock quarry. Together they built what is now know as the "Yellow Rock Barn", and is one of the few rock barns still standing in the Midwest.
In the 1960's under new ownership the barn would become known as the place to go for square dancing in the area. People would gather on a Saturday night to enjoy a family picnic and dancing till dark. In the 1980's the barn began being rented out for events and continues to be a place for groups large and small to gather.
Today along with being an event venue the property is used not to raise chickens but to raise honey bees! Messner Bee Farm has some of their hives right on the property (but not too close to the barn) and they have a small farm store where they sell their local honey and beeswax goods. The store is a great place to stop in and lean more of the property history or to purchase some wedding favors!