John Dowling arrived in Galena with his son Nicholas in 1826.

The first floor was used as a trading post while the Dowlings lived upstairs.

He served on the 1834 fire committee and was elected to the 1838 town board of trustees.

[2] The building sat abandoned for several decades, It was rehabilitated by William McCauley in the 1960s.

It was recognized as a contributing property to the Galena Historic District on October 18, 1969.