South Carolina native James J. Lumpkin, born in 1852, settled in Meridian in 1878, where he established a medical practice and pharmacy and became a prominent landowner. He married Ida Etoile Fuller, daughter of successful Meridian businessman Moses W. Fuller, and together they became civic leaders and benefactors of the town. Their home, built in 1898, was a center of social life and activities. After their deaths, the residence was owned by Mrs. Lumpkin's cousin, Frank Woodruff. Its octagonal corner tower reflects the structure's original Eastlake style.