The residence is two detached structures placed at 90 degree angles to one another. It was constructed in three stages beginning in 1850 and concluding before the Great Depression. The first part of the house built was a dimunuitive two-bay south-facing log cabin with a massive stone chimney and an enclosed stair leading to the upstairs loft. The main block, a plain two-story four-bay frame structure connected to the log ell by a shed-roof porch, was built around 1880. The final section, which included a frame addition with a vernacular Victorian mantel and rubblestone-and-brick end chimney, was placed on the log ell to make the kitchen in the early 20th century. More information about this photograph can be found on page 299 of the book The Architectural Heritage of Chatham County, North Carolina written by Rachel Osborn and Ruth Selden-Sturgill.