In 1827, at the age of 29, Abner purchased land in a valley near the present-day Quaker City; here he settled and built his log house,[2] which was completed by the end of the year.

[3] County voters chose two justices of the peace in that year, and Abner Williams was one of the men elected.

[2] Built of logs on a stone foundation, the Williams House is covered with a metal roof and some elements of weatherboarding.

[4] It has been recognized as a typical example of log house construction styles common in eastern Ohio during the second quarter of the nineteenth century.

[4] Expanding its importance is the state of the surrounding countryside: surface mining for coal has unintentionally damaged much of the historic nature of the rural region, increasing the historic importance of surviving properties such as the Williams House.