Paine lived in the house from 1873 to 1888; during this time, he began his writing career, authoring several stories and poems.

Several of Paine's works were published in Xenia's local newspapers, which inspired him to pursue his career.

As of the 1980s, the house was still owned and occupied by the descendants of Paine's family.

[2] The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 1985.

This article about a property in Clay County, Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.