The 1 1/2 story, gambrel roof section of the house was evidently built between 1756 and 1759 by Gilbert Leigh as his own residence. He sold the property in 1771. A 2-story addition was built in the 1820s, a porch was extended across both sections, and various Federal style alterations were made to the older section. Nevertheless, the original portion provides one of the best surviving examples of the many small but well-finished houses built in Edenton and northeastern North Carolina in the 18^th and early 19^th centuries. See Butchko, Edenton, for a fuller description.