Meet The Boothe House: One of Gonzales’ Most Whimsical Homes

“It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.” 

That’s a quote from the Lewis Carroll novel, Alice In Wonderland and it speaks volumes to the vision of the over-100-year-old historic Boothe House, now one of Gonzales’s finest Air BnB’s. Its doors stand proud, peculiar, petrifying, and very purple all thanks to the work of renovator, visionary and owner — Katie Heim.

“I was really enamored with the storybook feel that the house has; it kind of reminds you of Alice in Wonderland,” Heim said. “One compliment I love the most from guests is they say it’s whimsical. I’m trying to invoke the feeling of not being in this time and stepping back into somewhere else.”

Heim and her wife had initially planned on investing in a vacation in 2020; then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and left them out of wits until they decided to buy a house close to water. After consulting with a realtor, they discovered the next best option.

“What we found was that anything close to water, you’re bound to have issues with flooding and the problems would seem to never end if you were right next to the river — there’s no guarantee the water is not coming into your house,” Heim said. “She (the Realtor) started tracing the rivers to see what was close to rivers and she found the Boothe house. I’m well versed in Texas history and when we got there, I just fell in love with it.”

Having a degree in both history and political science, and citing that she works in accounting now, Katie found that the Boothe house was a reflection of all of her experiences. Turning 110 in 2023, the Boothe house was designed by famous Texas architecture, Atlee B. Ayres, and founded by Emily James Lea Boothe — known by townsfolk as just “Jimmie Lea.” Having residing in her quant three-story home for 17 years before her passing on New Year’s Day in 1930, the Boothe house became named after her devoted husband and politician, Joseph Henry Boothe — who died in 1911, before Jimmie Lea’s residency in 1913. 

“When we get our historical significance (certificate) we are going to attempt to have it changed from the JH Boothe house to the Emily Boothe house,” Heim said.

The Boothe house became an heirloom for the Boothe family until 1988, when it remained vacant for nearly a decade before the property was sold to Dawn & Alfred O’Donnell in 1996 who restored the property to its traditional form while transforming it into a bed and breakfast. 

Guests who step into the house can notice a very strong, almost supernatural, presence.

“I was told there was a rumor in town that this house has been haunted for a long time,” Heim said. “I have also felt some sort of presence in the house. There’s been times where I would turn while laying in bed and I felt almost a whoosh of air or almost like I’m being watched. She (the Boothe House) definitely gets temperamental when too many people are working on it at one time.”

Housekeeper Sylvia Schmidt said she thinks the spookiest room is the blue room, one of the Boothe house’s most minimal rooms, but still very alluring. 

“My favorite floor is definitely the first floor, there’s almost a nostalgic feeling in the furniture,” Schmidt said. "The house is beautiful all over.”

To counteract the very strong haunting presence of the house, Heim did make it a bit more fun, even going so far as making the third floor a carousel theme after noticing that the third floor from the outside resembles the shape of the classic carnival ride. 

“One of the things that inspired me is the painting of bunnies over the living room fireplace so there’s a lot of cute woodland creatures,” Heim said. “We put up pictures of our own animals as well and did them in a Victorian sort of way.”

One of the things Heim wants to make is an eye-spy book for the Boothe house so that guests can spot the recurring themes of the house.

Since the O’Donnell’s ownership, various owners bought the property and it has had a tumultuous journey, facing foreclosure and disrepair. Katie was innovated to inspire change to the City of Gonzales.

“We took occupancy in September 2020 and we had to get her (the Boothe house) to a point where no more damage was being caused by the day to day,” Heim said. “There was a leak under the house that had been there for a long time and the footings under the house that were holding it up were all rotted and had to be replaced. Once we did that, we realized the electrical was tied in to old knobs and tubes and we had to spend a bunch of money to have someone go through and check each wire.”

There were some shortcomings with certain contractors who Katie claimed did not treat the house with respect, having to go so far as to redo a leaky roof twice on the Boothe house.

Heim’s goal for the newly renovated Boothe house is for it be a symbol of change and welcoming for the city of Gonzales. With new varied businesses taking home in Gonzales such as The Gonzales Bistro and Come and Crepe It, some members of the city support the spirit of progress.

“The house was originally painted a butter yellow (now bright purple) and I think (Heim) brings much more of an art focus to the whole as well as our community,” said Tiffany Padilla, Main Steet manager and former operator of the Boothe House. “I love the way they integrated the artwork out in the yard as well as create a very stylish non-traditional house. Personally, I love the way they brought the modern feel of things and I think it could do well to have that spill over into other areas of the community.”

Heim is very proud of the life she has built, and the life she is growing in Gonzales, alongside her spouse Lindsey Dionne. She one day has hopes to participate in a pride parade in Gonzales, as she sees the tremendous amount of warmth, acceptance and love in the community.

She is asking for anyone with more information on Jimmie Lea to contact the Boothe House.