Although he'd never been to the city before Friday, John Rau had Jefferson City history in his genes - and inside an inherited, leather-bound book.
Rau's great-grandfather, Waller Washington Graves, was a chief justice of the Missouri Supreme Court and built a home on the property of 1503 Green Berry Road - a large, white house called "Oakborough" which still stands today.
On Friday, Rau was finally able to visit the home he grew up hearing stories about from his grandmother, the wife of John Lafayette Graves. Rau never met his grandfather, but when he inherited his book of photos, newspaper clippings and other documented family history, his interest in the home was peaked.
Oakborough was built in 1910 by Waller Washington Graves shortly after he was appointed to the state Supreme Court. Graves, his wife and three sons lived in the home until the judge's death in 1928.
"I never, ever would've dreamed I'd ever see this," Rau said. "I grew up out east, and my grandmother would tell me all these stories. It's quite meaningful to me."
Back in the mid-2000s, Rau flipped through his grandfather's book and looked at photos of the family's Jefferson City home. Intrigued by the home's beautiful exterior and his family history, he started doing research and learned about his great-grandfather.
About a year ago, he ended up in touch with Anne Green, executive director of Historic City of Jefferson, and a plan to bring Rau to see his family's home was created.
Finally, on Friday, Rau was able to see the home in person after years of seeing it in old, sepia-toned photos.
In the backyard, a garage stands on the same foundation which once held the family's horse barn, and the stone remnants of an old chicken coop can be found back inside some woods.
"I was in tears. It's so emotional," Rau said, of being inside the home. "I went down there and touched those walls of the chicken coop. He was here. It's just crazy that I could see it. Never in a million years would I have expected to be this close to my family history, and my grandmother would be so proud of me."
Over the years, the home has had many owners, including attorney and former Jefferson City Councilman Richard Nacy Jr. and his family.
The current owners, Steve and Debbie Howard, were more than thrilled to bring Rau and HCJ into the home.
Growing up in the area, Debbie Howard said she was always interested in historic homes, particularly Oakborough.
"I've lived here all my life, and I used to go by here and I thought, 'That house is just a mansion,' and I used to think, 'I'd give anything to see the inside of that,'" Howard said. "Never in a million years did I think I would end up owning it."
The Howards bought the property 18 years ago and ever since have been trying to learn more about the history of the home but ran into some issues trying to find information.
"When (Anne Green) called me, of course I'm thrilled to have somebody come and give us more history on the place," Howard said. "I found out through (Rau) that they raised these chickens that were a big to-do in this town."
Historic City of Jefferson provided the Howards and Rau with a packet of newspaper clippings and other historical information about the property that is now 1503 Green Berry Drive and the previous owners.
One clipping, about Judge Graves' entry into the State Fair reads: "Fine chickens and fine cattle will help to keep Jefferson City on the map."
Rau and Green were able to share some of the history of the home and his family with the Howards, including the fact that the judge, at one point, had chickens imported from England and used the basement of the Supreme Court building to hatch them - information found in another news article.
"Stories like that, I've never heard until these two came along and told us," Howard said, as the group laughed.
Howard helped Rau take a photo of himself in the same spot were his great-grandfather stood many years ago, alongside his sons, in a photo in the book.
Moving forward, Rau wants to continue filling in the leather book with his family's legacy, as his parents' only child. Right now, the book ends with him.
"I'm the last entries," Rau said. "It talks about Oct. 6, 1961 - John Clifton Rau. There's a letter that my grandmother wrote of how thrilled they were to have me. It's all in there, so I'm like, 'I'm it. If I'm going to do anything with this history, I have to write it.'"