Built in 1877 by Slater Ensor Lenoir and his wife, Margaret Bradford Lenoir, the house reflects both architectural beauty and deep local roots. The Lenoirs were members of Boone County pioneer families, and their home became a lasting landmark in what is now Historic Nifong Park.
The farmstead was named Maplewood for the grove of large sugar maple trees that once surrounded it. Only four people ever lived in the home: Slater and Margaret Lenoir, their daughter Lavinia, and later Lavinia’s husband, Dr. Frank G. Nifong. Today, Maplewood offers a rare, intimate window into 19th- and early 20th-century life in Boone County.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Maplewood House stands as one of Boone County’s most significant historic homes.
The Lenoir Family & Maplewood
Maplewood was not a bustling household but a deeply personal one. For decades, it was home to the Lenoir family and, later, to Lavinia and Frank Nifong. The property remained in the family for generations, shaped by the rhythms of farm life and the evolving needs of those who lived there.
Lavinia’s marriage to Dr. Frank Nifong brought new life and modern updates to the home in the early 1900s. Their return marked a new chapter, blending the Lenoirs’ pioneer legacy with a growing, modern Boone County. The continuity of family life at Maplewood makes the home especially powerful as a place of memory and connection.
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Architecture & the Evolution of the Home
The main house was constructed using bricks fired on site and lumber harvested from the surrounding farm. Its design reflects the Italianate style, with decorative corbels supporting the roofline, arched windows, a bay window, a balustered front balcony, and an oriole window.
Originally, the house followed a T-shaped footprint, with open sleeping porches along the south side. Built with both efficiency and safety in mind, it included a separate summer kitchen and once featured a covered walkway connecting the kitchen to the house and pantry.
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In 1891, the sleeping porches were enclosed and an octagonal wing was added to the south side. A foundation was dug at the rear of the house to allow for an interior kitchen and a servant’s room on the second floor.
When Frank and Lavinia Nifong returned to Maplewood in 1905, the home was modernized. Bathrooms were added, the house was wired for electricity, the front porch was enclosed to create a sun room, and a porte cochere was built over the driveway, leading toward the carriage house. Each change reflects how the home evolved alongside the people who lived within it.
The Maplewood Farm Site
The original Maplewood farm encompassed 427 acres stretching east and west of the house, with a large pond just to the south. Beyond the family home, the property included a separate summer kitchen, later used as a cottage for serving staff, a four-bay carriage house with storage and living quarters above, a utility house, a hay barn, and a large barn for animals.
After the City of Columbia purchased the property, the animal barn was converted into a summer theater playhouse. Though it was lost to fire in 2010, the structure was rebuilt and dedicated in 2012. The grounds of Maplewood reveal that this was not just a home, but a working landscape that supported daily life for generations.
Preservation & Restoration
Slater and Margaret Lenoir passed away within a year of one another in the late 1920s. In 1949, Lavinia and Frank Nifong donated 107 acres of the estate to the National Benevolent Association as an endowment to establish what is now Lenoir Woods. After their deaths in the 1950s, the remainder of the estate was also deeded to the Association.
In 1970, the City of Columbia purchased 60 acres of the original farm, along with the house, furnishings, and remaining buildings. The site was named the Frank G. Nifong Memorial Park and is now known as Historic Nifong Park in recognition of preservation efforts led by the City and the Boone County Historical Society.
As part of a 1976 bicentennial project, Maplewood House was restored and reopened to the public on July 3, 1976. The sun room and porte cochere were removed, and a turn-of-the-century porch was reconstructed using historic photographs. Interior restoration included re-papering public rooms and refinishing original woodwork. Maplewood was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
In 2016, the house underwent a major infrastructure renovation with support from the City of Columbia and the Boone County Community Trust. Updates included repairs to the foundation, HVAC, electrical and plumbing systems, flooring, and security.
Today, Maplewood House is managed and curated by the Boone County Historical Society in partnership with the City of Columbia Parks & Recreation Department.
Schedule A Tour!
Step into local history with a guided tour of Maplewood House.
A guided tour is the only way to experience the interior of this historic home. As you explore its Italianate architecture, you will also learn about the family whose story is deeply woven into Boone County’s past.
- Maplewood House tours are available by appointment April 1 through October 31.
- Cost: $6 per adult, $4 per child (12 and under).
- Groups of 10 to 15 are preferred, and a minimum number or donation may apply.
- Tours typically last one hour.
- Visitors meet at the main History & Culture Center building, followed by a short walk through Nifong Park to Maplewood House.
Please note that, because Maplewood was built in 1877, the home is not ADA accessible.