Built about 1816, the home of William H. Seward (1801–72), who served as a New York state senator, the governor of New York, a U.S. senator, a presidential candidate, and then Secretary of State under presidents Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson.

[3] The core of the house was built in 1816 by Judge Elijah Miller, Seward's father-in-law.

Much of the actual construction of the house was done by the carpenter John C. Jeffries as well as his apprentice Brigham Young, who later became the leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The house remained in the hands of Seward's descendants until 1951, when it was turned over to a nonprofit for conversion to a museum.

Although he spent many years in Albany and Washington, D.C., he called this house his home from the time of his marriage in 1824 until his death.