Dr. James Compton House (Stroud's Oak Ridge Manor)

The historic Compton home was completed in 1844, and it was built around a log cabin that had been constructed in 1829. To this day, portions of the log cabin remain intact within the historic home. Dr. James Compton, a dentist, and his wife Mary had the home built in 1844 and they lived here with their eight children, servants, and the enslaved persons they brought to Missouri on a farm they referred to as "Oak Ridge." The family was known for their social gatherings, such as opening their home to more than forty people for a week during Christmas and hosting an annual sugar (maple syrup) camp. Emma Compton, James and Mary's daughter, was the last family member to own the property and she sold the home in 1954. By that time, she had converted the home into a resort, drawing upon the family's history of hosting guests. The historic building has mainly served as a restaurant since the 1950s with its current occupant, Stroud's Oak Ridge Manner, having operated its restaurant in the home since the early 1980s.

The James H. Compton Residence survives as one of Kansas City's oldest surviving residential structures, which served as the home of the prominent Compton family. The present structure, owned by the family from 1844 to 1954, was built around the original 1829-constructed log cabin. The home served as the center of social life in Clay County and today acts as a reminder of the area's early history, long before Kansas City evolved into a significant urban center.

Dr. James Howard Compton was born in Virginia in 1815, during the James Madison presidency. Although he studied to become a dentist, he felt compelled to head west. So, in 1835, Compton moved to Missouri and operated a mercantile business in Platte City for several years. Around 1847, during the Mexican-American War, Compton hauled government supplies for the United States Army across the Santa Fe Trail to Santa Fe, New Mexico. 

In 1840 he married Mary Anne Wirt, whose family moved from Kentucky to Clay County in 1833. After their marriage, the Comptons resided on the Wirt farm until they moved to the now-historic property in 1844. Compton purchased the land from Jonathan Adkins, who received the original land grant in 1833. In 1829 Adkins had built two log cabins separated by six feet, although they were connected by a narrow, covered "dog walk" and a shared, double fireplace that warmed both cabins. After Compton purchased the land, he named it "Oak Ridge" and established a farm. The Comptons, a Southern family, owned slaves until the Civil War. During the war, most of the enslaved population left the area but a few stayed as paid farmhands after the war. 

The large family (James and Mary had nine children, although one of them died in infancy) routinely opened their home to guests for overnight stays, and they often hosted social events. For example, as many as forty-five guests visited the Compton farm on Christmas. Another popular event involved the family's annual sugar camp. In addition to gathering fresh maple syrup from the maple trees, the family provided meals and entertainment. The family tradition of entertaining large groups continued well into the twentieth century. In 1944, Emma Compton, then 84 years old, hosted 500 guests at an open house to celebrate the family's 100 years on the land. The home, at that time, still did not have running water or electricity (that had to wait until 1954). 

James Compton died in 1879; he bequeathed the farm to his only son George Thomas Compton. Mary died in 1895. Six of the seven daughters married and moved away, but Emma stayed on the farm. She eventually became its sole owner and the last Compton to own the house. With Emma as its owner, the farm gradually changed from a working farm to a resort, which one could argue existed as a natural transition given the family's propensity to host events and welcome guests. 

Emma Compton sold the residence to Louise Sandstrom in 1954, ending 110 years of Comptons on the land. Sandstrom updated the home, including replacing the kerosene lamps and fire-burning stoves with running water and electricity (and electrical appliances). The renovations were part of a move to repurposed the home into a new service-industry operation, opening it as a restaurant named Sandy's Oak Ridge Manor. However, Sandstrom left many of the family's furnishings, Dr. Compton's dentistry instruments, and other details for patrons to see while frequenting the restaurant. It opened in 1983 as Stroud's North, Oak Ridge Manor Restaurant & Bar, which remains its function today.

Kitrell, Mildred. "Clay County, Oak Ridge Manor and Justice Statue." Kansas City Public Library. kchistory.org. Accessed March 29, 2022. https://kchistory.org/image/clay-county-oak-ridge-manor-and-justice-statue. The information included in the digital entry came from the Kansas City Times, published on October 24, 1986.

Piland, Sherry. "Nomination Form: Compton, Dr. James, Residence." National Register of Historic Places. nps.gov. .1978. https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/Compton%2C%20Dr.%20James%2C%20Residence.pdf.