The Martin-Boismenue House is an excellent example of French Creole architecture and, because few buildings of vertical timber construction remain, is one of the oldest structures of its kind in Illinois. It is believed that Canadian-born Pierre Martin built the house as early as 1790, and the Boismenue family later owned and occupied it. As a typical Creole dwelling, it has two first-floor rooms: the largest, the parlor or salle, served as a multipurpose living area, while the sleeping room or chambre was a more private space. Broad open porches, or galeries, on the front and back provided additional living space and helped protect the timber and stone walls from the elements. Though small, the building housed domestics and the owner's extended family. Local preservationists discovered the house when the owner began demolition, and later additions had completely encapsulated the vertical-timber, two-room house while modern siding had obscured the log construction. The house also contains a stone cooking fireplace in a half basement, or souterrain, a rarity among similar structures that may reflect the owners' prosperity; the basement likely also functioned as a workspace and living quarters.