History
The Jones House & Family
The historic house on King Street was built as a family home by Dr. John Walter Jones in 1908. Jones was one of the first physicians in the area and he originally had his office located in the Jones House. Eventually, Dr. Jones held his office and pharmacy, along with the Boone telephone exchange, on the upper floor of the Mast Store building next door. Dr. Jones was active in the practice of medicine from the early 1900s until his death in 1925.
Dr. John Walter Jones
Mattie Blackburn Jones
Mazie Jean Jones Levenson
John Walter Jones, Jr.
Dr. Jones' wife, Mattie Blackburn Jones, was the daughter of Manly Blackburn, a prominent Boone merchant. The Jones had two children; John Walter Jr., who died in 1938 while serving in the Marines, and Mazie Jean Jones Levenson, who resided in Winston-Salem, NC until her death in early 2013. Mattie Blackburn Jones lived in the Jones House until 1977 and died in October 1978 at the age of 95.
Mazie Jones Levenson inherited the house and sold it to the Town of Boone in 1983 with a stipulation in the deed that the house and surrounding green space only be used as a cultural and community center. That restriction expired in 2008 and the Town of Boone continues to honor her wishes for the use of the house. In honor of her foresight in preserving the Jones House for the community, the downstairs gallery was named the Mazie Jones Gallery.
The Parlor
Many of the furnishings in the parlor originally belonged to the Jones family. Mazie Jean Jones Levenson donated the sofa, chair, tables, floor lamp, and the 1907 sewing machine. The oak mantle was a gift from John and Kathleen Rowell. The fireplace is a non-functioning replica of the original that had to be torn down. The original chestnut and oak woodwork have been preserved in the parlor and the reception
The Parlor
The Surrounding Property
The area behind the house that is now used for parking is part of a larger tract of land that was used as a family farm. There was a vegetable garden as well as fruit trees (pear, cherry, plum, and apple) on the north side of the property. Beyond the fruit trees was a barn, ice house, and a pasture for a cow, horse, and pony. As the town of Boone grew, King Street was widened and the front yard was reduced in size.
Downstairs Gallery Area
Originally, the downstairs gallery was two separate rooms; a front bedroom and a dining room. To finish this area, wainscoting was crafted from remnant closet boards and other matching woods from other parts of the house.
Mazie Jones Gallery
Kitchen and Upper Floors
The gallery space in the very back of the house was originally the kitchen. On one wall there is a stove pipe flu and on another wall are sink marks. The upstairs originally had five bedrooms and a bathroom. Today, the upstairs rooms serve as offices and galleries. The house has a large, unfinished attic space typical of its period with ceilings stretching to over eight feet in height.
The front yard today