Runnymede is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...
in
Harper County, Kansas
Harper County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. Its county seat and most populous city is Anthony. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 5,485. The county was named for Sergeant Marion Harper of the 2nd Kansas Ca ...
, United States.
It is located northeast of
Harper along
K-2 state highway at the intersection of NE 140 Rd and NE 60 Ave.
History
Runnymede was touted by an Irish promoter as a planned community in Kansas to wealthy Irish and Great British families in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
as a place in a "dry" state where their sons could come to begin a career as gentlemen farmers. Begun in 1888, the speculative though impressive scheme essentially collapsed within four years. The livery stable burned down in 1890. Other buildings were moved south close to the new constructed rail line. In 1891, the centerpiece of the town, a hotel, was partly disassembled and moved into the recently opened
Cherokee Strip in
Alva, Oklahoma
Alva is a city in and the county seat of Woods County, Oklahoma, Woods County, Oklahoma, United States, along the Salt Fork Arkansas River. The population was 5,028 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, up from 4,945 at the U ...
in 1893. It remains in use there today, thanks to a successful local effort at restoration.
Runnymede's church was moved to Harper, Kansas in 1893, where it now serves as a museum.
A post office was opened in Runnymede in 1879, and remained in operation until it was discontinued in 1944.
The community was named after
Runnymede
Runnymede is a water-meadow alongside the River Thames in the English county of Surrey, bordering Berkshire and just over west of central London. It is notable for its association with the sealing of Magna Carta, and as a consequence is, with ...
in England.
William Desmond Taylor
William Desmond Taylor (born William Cunningham Deane-Tanner; 26 April 1872 – 1 February 1922) was an Anglo-Irish-American film director and actor. A popular figure in the growing Cinema of the United States, Hollywood motion picture colony o ...
joined the Runnymede community in August 1891.
Area attractions
* Kansas Historical Marker - ''Old Runnymede''.
Kansas Historical Marker - Old Runnymede
/ref>
* Old Runnymede Church, located in Harper, Kansas.
Education
The community is served by Chaparral USD 361 public school district.
References
Further reading
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External links
* Harper County maps
CurrentHistoric
KDOT
Unincorporated communities in Harper County, Kansas
Unincorporated communities in Kansas
{{HarperCountyKS-geo-stub