The house was designed by architect Josef Jacobberger for Gilbert H. Durham and built in 1910 or earlier.

Dominant are characteristics of the Arts and Crafts Movement, including use of natural materials (wood, brick, tile, stone), built-in cabinetry, shingles, a variety of window types, asymmetrical floor plans, multiple steeply pitched gables, an open porch, brick chimneys and rooms with an open flow extending to the exterior.

Important are elements of the English Cottage style including the eyebrow dormer, wrought iron work and the jerkinhead or clipped gable that is an architectural feature whose origins trace back to the thatched roof of Medieval England.

Trees, shrubs, stone steps, lawn areas, walkways, a terracotta tiled patio, and terraces make up the yard, which is informal, overgrown and reminiscent of an English garden.

Portland City Directory (1913 edition) Morning Oregonian (Portland Oregon) September 3, 1914, Historic Oregon Newspapers, oregonnews.uoregon.edu Architectural Plans for Mr. G. H. Durham by Jos.