Born in 1806 in Paris, New York, Henry Maltby moved to Oxford in 1848,[2] after serving churches in Louisville and Cincinnati.

[2] Maltby built his house in 1852,[3] and for many years after he left, it remained a single-family residence, although late in its history it was turned into apartments for Miami University students.

[3] Built with wooden weatherboarded walls,[4] the Maltby House had a frame structure, a stone foundation, and a shingled hip roof.

Extending across the whole width of the front was a porch with various Greek Revival details, including a large entablature under the cornice and fluted columns in the Doric order.

[3] Three years later, the house was added to the Register, qualifying because of its architecture, its place in local history, and its connection to Maltby.