Jonathan Bass, born January 30, 1837, in Jefferson County, was the son of a man who had arrived there in 1816 and was himself a lifelong resident. Although the Bass House was under construction as early as 1863, Jonathan left the farm to join the Confederate Army in 1861 and finished the front two rooms when he returned from the war. Ruteria Watson married Jonathan on December 6, 1865, and together they built their home and left their descendants an uncommon example of architecture with unusual decorative elements of wood graining in the front parlors and stenciling on the ceiling of the Great Hall. The painted ceiling design in the Men's Parlor depicting a billiard table is a rare feature in American architecture, unique for its time and place.