Roscoe Hersey (?1841–1906) was a key figure in Stillwater's lumber and mercantile development, the son and local representative of Isaac Staples' Maine-based business partner Samuel F.

[3] It was nominated for its embodiment of the commercial success of the Hersey–Staples partnership, the ties between the St. Croix Valley and Bangor, Maine, and the peak of Stillwater's lumber industry.

Besides its elaborate exterior decoration, its dominant feature are four two-story bays projecting from the north, east, and south elevations and the southeast corner.

The house originally rose to another half-story, with the east bay above the main entrance extending into a three-and-a-half-story belvedere tower, but the building's upper reaches were destroyed in a 1926 fire, after which the roofline was restructured in its present configuration.

[2] Seeking to build a residence to befit their station, the Herseys purchased three adjacent lots in May 1879, and their grand home was completed the following year.