[1] It was built with a warm gray sandstone from Eastern Ohio,[1] designed in the Greek Revival style at the height of its popularity.

[1] The building had ten columns in total, all of the Ionic order and each constructed from a single piece of stone, said to weigh 10,000 lbs.

[5] Kelley was a notable politician and lawyer, responsible for the Ohio and Erie Canal and Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad.

[2] The house was constructed on a property with plenty of marshland, so Kelley, a self-made engineer and architect, designed a drainage system there.

[3] At the time of construction, it was the most ornate house in the city, and built in the Greek Revival style at the height of its popularity.

[6] During the Canal Fund financial crisis in 1842, Kelley pledged his property, including the mansion, to save Ohio from bankruptcy.

Around 1960, the building and its land were sold to a developer who built the Christopher Inn, and the Kelley house was offered for free to anyone willing to move it.

Fundraising was not successful, and in August 1961, the preservation committee decided to dismantle the house and store the pieces until enough money could be raised.

The large sandstone blocks remained in Wolfe Park for over four years when the city deemed them an eyesore; the committee still asked for more time.

In 1971, after sitting in the fairgrounds parking lot for about four years, the Ohio Exposition Commission ordered the stones to be moved or buried.