Built amid a period of commercial prosperity for the city, it was home to some of the area's leading businessmen for many decades.

Born in 1834 in Ireland, Barney Kelley immigrated to the United States and moved to Washington Court House in the 1860s.

Kelley soon opened a combined saloon and general store on East Main Street, selling everything from food to cutlery.

Some of its typical Italianate features include the ornamental frieze, the cornice supported by pairs of brackets, the keystones and architraves on the rounded arched windows, and the quoins.

The side of the house is divided into two bays and the front into three, with the main entrance in the middle; a porch is placed across the full width of the facade.