Constructed in the 1840s in two separate counties, it was named a historic site, and was destroyed on February 20, 2019 after a fire started in the home.

[3] The northern township derived its name from that of the home state of most of its pioneer settlers,[2] among whom was the builder of the Adams–Gray House, Edward G.

[6] The floor plan consists of rooms placed around a large hallway at the center of the house, reflecting the traditional architecture of Edward Adams' native Virginia, where such a hallway provided plenty of ventilation during the hot months of summer,[4]: 24  as well as furnishing space for the elaborately decorated staircase.

[4]: 281  Adams included ornate cast iron in the fireplaces of two of the rooms, with reliefs of Ceres holding baskets of fruit and flowers being placed on both sides of each opening, while above each opening he placed a relief depicting a scene from Byron's Mazeppa in which wolves chase a wild horse to which the naked Ivan Mazepa is bound.

These sculptures' origin is uncertain; they may well have been transported from an Eastern foundry with which he would have been familiar, or even imported from Europe, but Ohio metalworkers were already producing similar workmanship by this time.