William Quarles, a Revolutionary War officer, settled here circa 1809, built a house, barns, a general store, a blacksmith shop, and a school, and established a post office. His residence became a noted inn along the old pike. When Putnam County was established in 1842, the site served as a county seat. Quarles' grandson, Stephen D. Burton, a farmer, merchant, and slave trader, built this home before 1860.