Constructed in the late 1880s, it has been recognized because of its mix of major architectural styles and its monolithic stone walls.

Set on a stone foundation, the house is built of brick and sandstone with an asbestos roof and elements of iron.

At the time, he was near the peak of his prestige: he had become prominent in the late 1870s as the architect for the city's grand new Music Hall, and for ten years he sustained an architectural practice without partners.

Having passed his fiftieth birthday, he made two of his sons partners in 1887, but he remained active for another ten years before retiring.

The majority of Hannaford's surviving residences in metropolitan Cincinnati, including several built in the early 1890s, featured facades dominated by large areas of ashlar stonework,[4]: 3  comparable to the slightly older Mayer House.