Built in 1890 by John Howard Girardeau and his wife, Agnes, this Folk Victorian house was constructed for their large family of 11 children and faced north toward Dogwood Street. Girardeau planted 46 oaks along the street, creating a grand tree-lined approach to the front of his original 10-acre homestead from Marvin Street and extending east for several blocks. The house retains its original footprint, though modern plumbing and electricity were added early in its history. Large verandas wrapped the northeast and northwest sides and both floors on the north side, allowing many rooms to open outdoors. Two single-story extensions on the south side served as a kitchen on the west and an enclosed well house on the east. Later development to the south and the construction of U.S. Highway 90 changed the house's orientation and created the illusion that the southern side was the front. Girardeau was an important community member for his horticultural work, especially with pecans and pears, and as Superintendent of Jefferson County Public Schools he oversaw construction of the county's first two African American schools and also served as headmaster of Monticello Academy.