The two-story Italianate commercial building was built in 1876 by James F. Wilson as an investment property.

[2] In 1865 Wilson helped establish and served as president of the First National Bank in Fairfield, and in 1870, he and R. H. Hufford, C. W. Slagle, and George Acheson organized the Jefferson County Coal Company.

Seven years after this building was constructed he began the first of two terms in the United States Senate.

The historic significance of this building reflects the importance of Wilson's contributions to the economic life of Fairfield, and his political career.

This article about a property in Jefferson County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.