The historic house was built in 1897 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Martin Shepard. This Queen Anne Victorian home was chosen from a catalog produced by the famous architect, George Franklin Barber. Rumor has it that it took thirteen railroad cars to deliver all of its components from Knoxville, Tennessee to Mobile, Alabama. Many of the original features remain in the house including chandeliers, fireplaces and mantles, stained glass windows and book cases.