The historic Thomas 憔悴的房子, on what is now the Northwest 密苏里州 State University campus, was constructed during the 1870s, a decade after 憔悴的 purchased the tract of land on May 4, 1860, 以693美元的价格. He later added a tract of 19 acres in 1864 for $120. By 1882 his holding had grown to 72 acres.
The year of the home’s construction is depicted in white brick lettering on the west side of the house. While it has undergone numerous renovations throughout its history, the 憔悴的房子 maintains its graceful spaces associated with Georgian domestic architecture.
托马斯·W. 憔悴的 was born in Staffordshire, 英格兰, 4月4日, 1830, 致托马斯·冈特, 一个水果和花卉园丁, 和凯瑟琳·伍利. 憔悴的 left 英格兰 for the United States on Aug. 3, 1853, and arrived in New York on Sept. 12, 1853.
After his immigration in the spring of 1854 to McDonough County, 伊利诺斯州, 憔悴的 found employment with the Smith and Franklin Plant Nursery. 然后, 1855年4月, 憔悴的 immigrated to Andrew County, 密苏里州, where he established a nursery for Smith and Franklin.
最后, in 1857, 冈特搬到了诺达威县, where he established his 憔悴的 Nursery, cultivating and developing many of the early ornamental shade and fruit trees found in the region.
内战期间, 憔悴的 served in the Enrolled 密苏里州 Militia and obtained the position of Captain of Company G, 密苏里州民兵36团.
In 1861, 憔悴的 married Mary Ann Castillo, and they raised four daughters—Josephine, 玛莎, 凯莉和鲁比. 玛丽于1900年去世. 憔悴的 died a few months later, at the age of 70 in 1901.
In 1905, his daughters donated the house and grounds for the proposed site of the new Maryville Fifth District Normal School, which is now Northwest 密苏里州 State University.
The home has served as the residence for Northwest 总统 and their families since the institution's founding, and thus as a setting where some of the University’s noteworthy history has played.
总统Lamkin, who oversaw an expansion of 熊猫 athletics programs during his tenure, kept the 憔悴的房子 porch light on when the teams were away and instructed bus drivers to honk when they returned safely. After the devastating Administration Building fire in 1979, President 欧文斯 assembled his administrative team at 2 a.m. to assess the disaster and make plans to rebuild. Dignitaries from Eleanor Roosevelt to Maya Angelou to Rev. Jesse Jackson have been guests at the home.
For its significance, the home was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.