On 93 acres Wilkins built a two-story brick mansion in the Italianate style, reflecting their prominence in the business and social life of the community.

"[4] The elegant interior, decorated in high Victorian style, included large crystal chandeliers, bas-relief carvings, and an impressive curved staircase.

[5] Even after the death of her husband and only son, Mrs. Wilkins (thereafter always dressed in black) continued to play the grand lady, hosting luxurious dinner parties and being driven to social appointments in an enclosed carriage.

[6] On her death in 1930, the house passed to a nephew who leased it to a funeral home, Jones Mortuary, which made superficial modifications to the interior but (among other exterior alterations, including painting the brick white) added a 1,200-square-foot chapel—enough change to make the structure ineligible for inclusion on the National Register.

[8] Although buildings that have been moved are typically ineligible for the National Register, the Wilkins house was considered eligible on the basis of its architecture ("an excellent example of a high-style Italianate residence") and because it was a rare residential construction by Jacob Cagle.