Constructed during the middle of the nineteenth century, it was originally home to one of the city's most prominent men, and it has been named a historic site due to its unusual design.

In its earliest years, the city of Franklin was heavily influenced by the Schenck family, who sponsored much of its early development.

Rather than living in it, Schenck gave it to his daughter and son-in-law, Charles Butler, who occupied a leading place in Franklin's governmental and commercial circles.

Because the house sits atop a small hill, a person inside is able to view a panorama of the city as well as the Great Miami River.

[2] In 1982, the Butler House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its distinctive architecture; it is one of four National Register-listed locations in the city, along with the prehistoric Hill-Kinder Mound, the Mackinaw Historic District, and the Old Log Post Office.