For $8 million, you can own a piece of Daniel Boone history in Defiance (2024)

ST. CHARLES COUNTY — Through the rolling hills in Defiance sits one of the few vestiges of early American frontier history in St. Charles County.

The Bryan Mill Grove estate is on over 100 acres on Highway F owned by frontiersman Daniel Boone in the early 1800s. It includes a stone barn likely built by Boone and his adopted son, plus a three-story limestone house built in 1840, after Boone’s death. The site is a mile west of the historic Daniel Boone Home that the St. Charles County Parks Department oversees.

Bob Brinkmann and his wife, Kim, refurbished Bryan Mill Grove — the barn hadn’t been touched in over 200 years — and hosted fundraisers, parties and other social events throughout the 12 years they’ve owned it. Now the couple, who live nearby, are ready to let go. It is listed for sale for $8 million through Coldwell Banker.

“It’s a little special piece of property,” Bob Brinkmann said.

Daniel Boone and his family were among the first settlers in the area, coming to the region in 1799 via Kentucky after receiving a land grant from the Spanish, several years before the Louisiana Purchase.

At Bryan Mill Grove, Boone helped adopted son Jonathan Bryan build the barn that operated as a gristmill, which ground grains for flour, as well as the stone house that was built at least in part by slaves, and took about eight years to complete, Brinkmann said. Boone died in 1820 and was buried nearby.

Boone became emblematic of pioneerism that’s enjoyed waves of interest and popularity throughout American history, from TV shows to his eponymous submarine used during the Cold War.

“Boone’s popularity really explodes after his death,” said Ben Gall, park historian for the St. Charles County Parks Department.

And even his death — or at least his body — is in question. The Boone Society, based at least in part in North Carolina, says some of his bones were taken to Kentucky. Still, the society says, perhaps “70 to 80 plus percent of his body” remains in Missouri.

But St. Charles County today is a much different place than what Boone and Bryan lived through. Highways and subdivisions now cover much of that history, said Gall. “There has been a lot lost,” he said.

In the Defiance area, windy, asphalt roads wrap around the hills and bluffs. Stately mansions dot the landscape, often hidden among the trees. And many of the region’s most prominent families live or have weekend houses here — a member of the Dierberg family owns 5,000 acres next to Bryan Mill Grove. Brinkmann and Dierberg produce a special grape varietal called Crimson Cabernet.

Bob Brinkmann founded Brinkmann Construction, one of the most prominent general contracting companies in the region. His firm was vital to the rebuilding of Chesterfield Valley after the Flood of ‘93 and has expanded its scope to commercial projects nationwide. Brinkmann passed on leadership to the company before the pandemic and now serves as chairman.

Brinkmann, a history buff, said he had always been drawn to this area. The couple lived in nearby St. Albans, and Brinkmann said it was a “God moment” that led him to check out Bryan Mill Grove when it was for sale. To his surprise, he said, his wife agreed they should buy it. They learned of the Boone history the day he and his wife took over ownership. Brinkmann discovered his family several generations ago had also lived in the area.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” he said.

The St. Charles County Parks Department said it doesn’t have an official record of Boone building the barn, but parks staffers say property records and historical timelines suggest Boone did.

And Brinkmann says stories passed down through generations also claim Boone built the barn.

The barn was in rough shape when the Brinkmanns got it. None of the columns, for example, touched the ground; piles of rocks held them up.

It was an expensive endeavor to restore, he said. Whatever budget they had, they busted.

Brinkmann added a concrete floor in the barn to stabilize the columns. He installed walnut flooring so it would sound hollow when the couple hosted line dancing. The beams in the barn have the original “marriage marks” that told the builders then how to match them up. The kitchen in the stone house has a heated floor, and cabinets built for the era. The bathroom has standalone tub.

The property’s vineyard produces 3,000 bottles of wine a year, Brinkmann said.

“This house is steeped in history,” Brinkmann. “We want people to be excited about it as much as we have.”