Built in the closing decades of the nineteenth century as the home of a wealthy businessman, the house exemplifies the economic prosperity of 1880s Shiloh.

By the end of the century, Shiloh was a flourishing locality: with the presence of the railroads, the village's commerce grew to the point that parts of the business district were three stories tall.

Ferrell was a well-to-do village merchant: he owned the general store and a factory that produced agricultural equipment, and he had a share in the operation of Shiloh's grain elevator.

[3] Two stories high, the weatherboarded structure rests on a foundation of limestone; its roof is tin, and additional elements are made of wood.

No other building in Shiloh retains such a high degree of integrity in the Italianate style, and its location on Main Street increases the house's prominence.