After his home was destroyed by fire, George Barrett decided to build a house that would survive another disaster. He read an article by O.S. Fowler in New York about a new building material made from gravel, sand, and lime. Because cement was less expensive and more time-efficient than brick, and because he was unable to get help from a mason, Barrett gathered the material and built the house himself. The house was completed in 1853 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.