The property is notable as one of New Hampshire's first market garden farms, a practice adopted by John Emery in 1855.

The house is a large 2+1⁄2-story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, central brick chimney, and clapboarded exterior.

Its interior follows a typical center-chimney plan, with a narrow vestibule that has a winding staircase, and parlor spaces to either side of the chimney.

In 1855 John Emery began producing cash crop vegetables, which he sold door-to-door in communities from Dover to Portsmouth.

Emery is also credited with introducing fresh strawberries to Portsmouth, something that had otherwise been a scarce commodity.