The Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood was named for Reverend Nathan Scarritt, a Methodist missionary and educator.  In 1845, Scarritt left his native Lebanon, Illinois with $10 in his pocket, traveling to the western frontier and settling first in Fayette, Mo., where he established what is today Central Methodist University. The Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association (SRNA) was officially chartered on September 18, 1986. The neighborhood’s boundaries are Chestnut Avenue on the west, Jackson Avenue – with a slight jog down Sunrise Drive to Elmwood Avenue – on the east, Independence Avenue on the south and the Cliff Drive Scenic Byway on the north.

Through the years, the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association has hosted a variety of events designed to bring the community together for a common goal. During the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Historic Homes Tours were organized, often drawing over 1,500 people to the neighborhood, showcasing the neighborhood’s historic housing stock and allowing tour attendees to step back in time and get a glimpse inside some of the most historic residences in the city.

Scarritt’s keystone event is the  Scare-It Halloween event held every year on October 31. Residents along Gladstone Boulevard near the Kansas City Museum decorate their homes with spooky flare and distribute candy to throngs of little ghouls and goblins in attendance. In peak years the event has drawn upwards of 5,000 people to the neighborhood. The Scarritt Renaissance neighborhood is home to two National Register Historic Districts that run along the Gladstone and Benton Boulevard corridors from Independence Boulevard north, then east along Gladstone Boulevard and Windsor Avenue to Askew Avenue, encompassing over 150 historic properties including Corinthian Hall, home of the Kansas City Museum which recently reopened after a $22 million dollar multi-year restoration and renovation project.  

Scarritt President Jacob Luke noted a number of the neighborhood association’s projects, including securing additional funds to restore the Colonnade, working with the city’s Parks department on the comprehensive plan for Kessler Park and collaborating with the Indian Mound neighborhood on the St. John Avenue traffic calming study. 

Approaching its 38th anniversary, Scarritt Renaissance’s history continues to be written by its residents through continued work with development partners such as Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Neighborhood Legal Support and the Lykins Neighborhood Trust, which expanded its work into the Scarritt Renaissance area in 2022. The Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association is a registered 501(c)(3) that meets on the first Thursday of February, April, June, August, October and December at the Kansas City Museum. Their web address is scarrittkc.org.