The first house on the property was built by early-French explorer Francois Navarre, who was the first European to settle the area that would later become Monroe.

The Navarre House was famously used as the military headquarters for James Winchester, who commanded his troops during the ill-fated Battle of Frenchtown during the War of 1812.

[3] The house had several different owners, but its namesake comes from Dr. Alfred Sawyer, who was a famous early proponents of homeopathy.

[3] The house was used by a variety of organizations, such as the Monroe County Historical Museum, Red Cross, the Camp Fire Girls, and the Boy Scouts.

The house stood empty before a group of citizens pooled their private funds and restored the building, and creating an organization whose main reason for existence was the maintenance of the historic structure.