Part of this house may have existed as early as 1855, when the site and improvements were sold to John E. Shelton, a master craftsman who built other fine houses prior to 1860. Shelton built the main portion about 1858 for his friend and business partner, Thomas Wesley Smith (1829-1902), who later became a leading cigar manufacturer in this county. Smith and his heirs owned the house until 1924, and a granddaughter added the dormers in a 1922 remodeling. From 1924 to 1970, the house was owned by the Thomas A. Gay family. Mr. and Mrs. K.M. Whisenant preserved it in 1976. In October 2000, Richard and Mary Eckhart purchased the property and restored the home and slave quarters.