Client side GUI-like web framework ?

[USCode]

Wouldn't it be handy if there was a web framework that allowed you to 
create pages and control the interface like you would using a 
client-side GUI framework such as Tkinter?

The framework would need a small, fast web server that would 
automatically fire up when you ran your application and you then control 
the interface just like you would with client-side GUI widgets (within 
the limitations of browsers of course).  It would handle all the 
complexities of HTTP, HTML, Javascript, etc. letting you focus on adding 
functionality to your application.

Essentially you would be using the browser as your cross-platform 
client-side interface.  You would just interact with all the widgets 
like trees, grids, paned windows, checkboxes, buttons, etc.

There wouldn't happen to be anything like that available, would there? 
I've seen CherryPy but that doesn't quite seem to be what I described.

Thanks!