It is a rare example of a well-preserved early 19th-century Federal period tavern, and is further notable as the workshop of Thomas Day (c. 1801–1861), a free person of color who was one of North Carolina's leading cabinetmakers.

Its front facade is six bays wide, with three entrances, each set in a round-arch opening with a fanlight above.

By 1818 he had begun to work as a cabinetmaker, and in 1823 he moved to Milton, where he purchased and adapted this building as his studio and workshop.

His skill as a craftsman was widely regarded: he catered to North Carolina's wealthiest residents, and was by mid-century operating the state's largest workshop.

He is also said to have done the woodwork in the local church, on condition that he be permitted to sit in the area normally reserved to whites.