Built around 1820 by Moses Ridley, the Davis home was purchased by Charles Davis in 1845 and renovated in 1850 as Greek Revival style dominated Southern architecture in the mid-19th century. Greek Revival details such as columns, porticos, and transom lights brought clarity, order, simplicity, and refinement to houses and reflected the new wealth and status of upper middle class farmers. Originally a two-story, four-room house with a central hallway, the home gained a two-story portico with four columns and a pediment in imitation of Southern plantation houses, and an ell with four rooms and a central chimney was added at the rear to accommodate a growing family. The house remains much as it was when Sam lived there, with the floors, doors, windows, and most of the woodwork still original. The nine-room home stands on a 168 farm where cotton is still grown, and the house and grounds were purchased by the State of Tennessee in 1927 and opened for tours in 1930 by the Sam Davis Memorial Association.