[1][2][3] It was built for John F. Singer, who was made wealthy during the American Civil War by supplying the Union Army with iron and steel.

[1][2][5] Built for John F. Singer, who was made wealthy during the American Civil War by supplying the Union Army with iron and steel, this structure may have been designed by architect Joseph W. Kerr.

Among the effects achieved by the plasterers, stonemasons and woodcarvers that Singers had brought in from Austria, Germany and England were "delicate natural motifs in low relief under each bay window" and hand-carved, hardwood vergeboards, according to the Society of Architectural Historians.

[10] Each of the eighteen rooms on the structure's first floor is characterized by its own unique marble mantel and is accented by mahogany doors and window frames.

[11] Sometime after that, his widow and children moved out of the residence, but chose to leave clothing, jewelry, books, furniture, and other household items there, a significant number of which were stolen during a break-in by thieves at the home in 1875.