On one of Cole County's highest hills, entrepreneur and future phone company mogul Houck McHenry built a family home that has weathered four generations.
Once at the center of sprawling acreage on the outskirts of Jefferson City, architect Frank Miller's design at 1427 Green Berry Road is a distinctive city-designated Landmark with its 17-inch-thick stone walls rising three stories.
Houck and his wife, Thenia, lived in the home from 1907 until their respective deaths. Their son, Foster, who had lived a block away on Green Berry Road, moved with his wife, Madge, into the family home in 1943.
Judge Jim McHenry, son of Foster and Madge, continued living in the home until his death in 2003, when his nephew Thomas McHenry brought with him the fifth generation to grow up in the spacious home.
"This was an awesome place when my kids were younger," Thomas McHenry said. "We've had a lot of fun."
Much of the home appears just as it would have when Madge McHenry hosted socials for ladies' groups in the early decades. The butler's pantry was filled with more than 100 teacups, Thomas McHenry said.
The home's porches, enclosed in 1913, and spacious lawn also contributed entertaining the community.
"She had some pretty big parties," he said.
Inside, the hefty walnut trim and doors give the interior a warm feeling, accented by original chandeliers and oak flooring throughout.
Some family members suspect the Scottish masons who built Ha Ha Tonka also did the stone work for this home, Thomas McHenry said.
His great-grandfather also owned a quarry and delivery service. So Thomas believes the home's stone came from there, too.
The 2-by-16-inch floor joists and the wall studs both are solid oak.
"This is a 500-year house," he said. The original tuckpointing is in pristine condition, and the new kitchen counters required no shimming.
"There are some things about this house you just can't duplicate," Thomas McHenry said.
The property once included a two-carriage house, maintenance building, two-story barn, well house, two poultry houses and a milk barn. And Thomas McHenry developed a putting range when his children - who all have golfed at the college level - were younger.
While his grandfather, Foster, lived there, Thomas McHenry said he remembers a groundskeeper and his family living on the property, and he milked the jersey cows, which provided fresh milk and butter.
Behind the garage, the orchard still boasts pear and apple trees.
Thomas McHenry said he has fond memories of the home from his childhood, playing in the attic or roaming the grounds. When his father, John, was young the property had a lake for boating, he said.
Where they built the dam, a marker remains that says "McHenry 1911," he said.
"I've been around this house all of my life," Thomas McHenry said. "I have a lot of good memories."