John Lange Jr. built the home on a lot that overlooked Flat Branch Creek, as a wedding present for his sister and brother-in-law, John and Eugenia Boone.
The home was built between 1888 and 1892 and measures 46’ by 45’. While Boone occupied the home, it was sided with wooden weatherboarding and featured a two-story front porch that opened on to the second level. Wooden shutters flanked the windows.
During the 1930s or 1940s, the house was covered with a layer of stucco, which was subsequently hidden under aluminum siding during the ’70s. Two additions were added to the original house, one on the east side during Boone’s lifetime and another on the north side during the 1940s. The additions and successive exterior layers not only dramatically altered the original Victorian appearance but also obscured the historical integrity of the house as a whole.
Fortunately, the interior of the house retained much of its original woodwork, including pocket doors, fireplace, and an open, curving staircase. Today, these elements look much as they would have during Boone’s lifetime.
After Boone’s death in 1927, his widow, Eugenia, retained ownership until 1929. In 1931, William and Parker Undertakers moved in. One of the partners, Stuart Parker, constructed the north addition to use as a funeral chapel. In the 1960s, the south room of the eastern addition was renovated to use as an embalming laboratory. Harold Warren, one of Parker’s former employees, eventually acquired the home and for over 30 years operated Warren Funeral Chapel.
A Victorian era home, located in downtown Columbia, is a rare and precious possession. The home has extraordinary symbolic significance. Few African-Americans born during the civil war could have owned such a grand residence. This is a tacit tribute to the greatness of the man.