If you enjoy taking a tour of American history without leaving your couch, this tour is for you. Daniel Boone’s Mansion was constructed in 1817 but has been restored and preserved.
The home is located in Defiance, Missouri, and the tour is given by William, a Charles County Parks tour guide. William says, “Folks come out between all the other buildings in the village that we brought. We’ve got everything from a general store to a grist mill to a detached kitchen. We have a covered bridge. Think of this as an exercise in preservation.”
It starts with Boone’s exterior, complete with holes in the wall, which was part of the original construction plans. Between the two walls, the holes are believed to hold beams that would’ve kept the house together.
The interior tour begins with William saying, “We have plenty of native hardwoods that were abounding. In fact, Nathan Boone, who owned this home, tells us through interviews they have oak, they have walnut, they also have maple.” The doors and floors are all made of black walnut wood.
The drawing room is filled with attractive furniture, starting with a fireplace with Daniel Boone’s portrait above it. Three generations lived in this house, including Nathan, his son, and his daughter-in-law, with 14 kids in 28 years.
Daniel, one of America’s first folk heroes, died in his bedroom from a peaceful death. The room has a fireplace and a single bed with a desk next to it. The kitchen is under the house and is responsible for the structural stability of the mansion.
William completes the tour of the three-story home by making a quip about the preservation, saying, “We jokingly say that people take in stray dogs. We take in stray buildings.”
