Joseph Henry Boothe was born November 20, 1851, in Wake County, North Carolina. He obtained his license to practice law in North Carolina and at the age of twenty-two came to Gonzales County where he taught school in several areas. On September 18, 1879, Joseph married Emilie James Lea and they had five sons. Emilie, born June 2, 1853, in Mississippi, was the daughter of James K. and Della Porter Hamon Lea of Mississippi. Joseph and Emilie lived in several locations before settling in Gonzales in 1890. About 1895 Boothe went into the hardware and plumbing business with Edward Lewis and built the Boothe & Lewis Building on the east side of what is now Confederate Square. In 1896 he purchased the lot where the current house stands. There was probably a house there at the time where the family lived. Boothe served as mayor for 5 years but resigned about 1910 due to ill health. He died of heart failure August 28, 1911.
Following his death, his widow and his son, Ross, employed noted architect, Atlee B. Ayres, to design the home that was completed in 1913. Ayres also designed the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium and the Randolph Air Force Base Tower.
Emilie died January 1, 1930, and is buried beside her husband in the Gonzales Masonic Cemetery.
