Built in 1847 for a major local landowner, it is a distinctive and particularly grand and well-preserved example of Greek Revival architecture.

The property's landscaping includes mature plantings, some of which may date to its early days.

The house has two primary facades, one facing east to Second Street, and the other to the west toward the Tombigbee River.

Details from one of the parlors are direct copies from plates appearing in Minard Lafever's 1835 The Beauties of Modern Architecture.

[3] The house was built in 1847 for Charles McLaran, a native of Alabama who was then one of the county's largest landowners.