The bright yellow 1890 Victorian-era Ryland House in the Village at Boone Junction at the Boone County History & Culture Center offers a peek into life was like for a farmer at that time.

The tiny, L-shaped Ryland house is only 800 square feet and features intricate wood patterns, including a sunburst on the front. It was moved to the BCHCC in 2009 from Highway 63 near Sturgeon. Typical of a middle-class farmhouse at the time, it is believed to be a kit home ordered by mail and shipped to Columbia by rail.

Maggie (King) and William Ryland built the house after their 1886 marriage. The couple had no children. According to the 1898 and 1917 Boone County atlases, the couple owned about 400 acres and raised livestock, mainly hogs.

The livestock cost William Ryland his life. According to a 1917 newspaper report, Ryland protested his neighbor’s turkeys eating his corn. After a confrontation, the neighbor shot Ryland with a shotgun and killed him. His wife continued to live in the home until she died in 1939. The house was sold to Edward and Blanche Clayton and later to Robert and Carolyn Sue Graves, who donated it to the Boone County Historical Society. 

The house is open by appointment and during various events.

Sources:

• Boone County Historical Society: The Ryland-Clayton Farmhouse.

• Boone County Historical Society: The William A. Ryland Farmhouse.

• Finn, Heather (Feb. 9, 2014). Victorian farm house restored at Boone County Historical Society village. Columbia, Missouri: Columbia Missourian. Accessed June 18, 2024.

• Greaney, T. J. (Oct. 5, 2009). Farmhouse joins historic village. Columbia, Missouri: Columbia Daily Tribune. Accessed June 18, 2024. Columbia, Missouri: Columbia Missourian. Accessed June 18, 2024.

• Harbarger, Molly. (Feb. 9, 2009). Shotgun house prepared for move to history village. Columbia, Missouri: Columbia Missourian. Accessed June 18, 2024.

• Image: Ryland House in Boone Junction at the Boone County History & Culture Center, courtesy of the BCHS.

CoMo Preservation is devoted to helping homeowners, landlords, and institutions prevent the destruction of historic architecture. Original period styles might be replicated but will forever lack the social history of authentic structures. Preserving historic places and spaces gives people a sense of place and boosts Columbia’s economy. You can get involved by volunteering, signing up for our mailing list, attending an event, becoming a member, or donating.

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