Fort Leavenworth’s Rookery benefited recently from some restorations. As the state’s oldest residence, the 180-year-old house has been home to such occupants as Nathan Boone, who was Daniel Boone’s son, and Andrew Reeder, the first territorial governor of Kansas.

Leavenworth ? It’s Kansas’ oldest residence, and the myths, legends, ghost stories and speculations that surround it are just a few elements that make Fort Leavenworth’s Rookery special.

From the people and their families who lived there to the explorations that were discussed and embarked on during their stay, the building’s historical significance can still be felt in its walls.

“There’s lots of threads of those individuals here and the things they did here that make Kansas and the United States what it is today,” said Kelvin Crow, assistant command historian on post. “Those strands reach out from here to all elements of history.”

The Rookery, built between 1827 and 1834, recently underwent a facelift that updated the home with modern conveniences and restored much of the charm of the 180-year-old house.

Among the restored features are refinished hardwood floors, newly painted interior and exterior surfaces and the preservation of old hardware and door hinges. After years of repainting as residents moved in and out, many of the building’s windows were painted shut.

During the restoration, those windows were restored to functionality, some of which still contain the original lead-glass panes.

In the kitchen, new cabinets, granite countertops and energy-efficient appliances were installed, giving the old duplex an updated feel.

But even with the new kitchen, modern bathroom fixtures and bedroom ceiling fans, many parts of the home and its 17-inch thick walls went untouched during the renovation.

In the basement, large timbers, 10 inches thick, make up the floor joists that support the home. The basement room that was originally the kitchen and helped heat the house is a step back in time as ax marks that cut down the trees in 1827 can still be seen. At many of the joints, rings in the tree bark can be counted, which Crow said dates them to the American Revolution.

“When you reach up and touch these, it’s like going back to the Revolution,” Crow said.

Among the home’s most famous occupants are Maj. Gen. Bennett C. Riley, who is the namesake of Fort Riley and Riley County; Nathan Boone, Daniel Boone’s son; William Clark’s stepdaughter; and Andrew Reeder, the first territorial governor of Kansas.

“This place goes all the way back in history to the people who took their lives, their future and their family’s lives in hand and moved to this place and made what we have today,” Crow said.

Crow’s favorite houseguest, however, was then-Capt. Douglas MacArthur, who was the Officer-in-Charge of the Engineering Depot at Fort Leavenworth 30 years before serving as the commander of Allied forces in the Pacific in World War II. He lived in the Rookery with his mother, Pinkie.

Crow, who referred MacArthur as a “mama’s boy,” said that when he walks around the old home, he can picture MacArthur being bossed around by his mother.

“You can read the history books and get the facts, opinions and analysis,” Crow said, “but when you walk around here and go upstairs and see where these people sat, that’s where history really comes from.”