The 30-acre (12 ha) district extends along Church Street roughly between Franklin and High Streets, and encompasses a neighborhood of homes dating from the early 19th to the early 20th century, the major period of the city's growth.

The city of Belfast, located on Penobscot Bay on the central Maine coast, became a major shipping and shipbuilding port after the War of 1812, and diversified economically as the 19th century progressed.

As a result, the street is lined with a succession of high-quality houses, reflecting primarily the styles of the first three quarters of the 19th century: the Federal, Greek Revival, and Italianate.

These houses were built by sea captains, shipbuilders, businessmen, and industrialists, all of whom contributed to the city's economic growth.

The White House was designed by Calvin Ryder, a local architect whose work appears throughout the district.