It sits at the base of a small incline overlooked by the large Queen Anne style Townsend House.

When it was first constructed the local newspaper, the Sycamore True Republican, stated that the building was meant to hold "benzine vehicle" owned by Townsend and his brother-in-law Elmer E. Boynton.

The structure was erected at a cost of about $3,000 and made of granite rocks gathered from Townsend's farmland.

[2] After the building left private ownership the property was exploited for commercial use and became a gas station.

Despite the years and the changes in function the building's historical character remains intact.