Samuel Nichols moved his family from Ohio to Iowa in the late 1830s.

He built a log structure on this property that served as the family home, a post office, and occasionally as a store that catered to people who traveled between Iowa City and Muscatine.

The farm was passed down through the family and remained so until at least 1978 when it was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places.

It was named after Samuel who had invested heavily in the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad and donated land for the depot around which the town developed.

The deck in the center of the roof is original to the house, but the railings are replacements.