James Nesbit Stuart and his wife, Sally Allen Stuart, built this house in 1874 from materials hauled by ox-wagon from east Texas. Andrew Murdock, a ship builder, joined the frame with pegs. The house was the first in the area to have milled lumber and window glass. Four sons, all later successful in business, were reared here. The youngest, Sally James Stuart, named for his mother and father, became owner in 1910, the same year he married Margaret Gordon. The house became a stopping place for circuit riders, public officials, travelers, and friends, and it was still owned by Margaret Stuart.