As quoted from the historical marker:

Built about 1860 of hand-hewn logs from bottomland of the Trinity River. The builder, David Jordan (1808-1879), came to Texas about 1859, moving his household by wagon from Tennessee. A farmer, he also kept a store and a stage stand on the Dallas-Fort Worth road.

At that time, Indian raids were frequent, and the outlaw Sam Bass was suspected of committing an 1860 hold-up here.

In 1886, Victor Bowles bought property, which remained in his family for 65 years. Miss Minnie Bowles remodeled the house in 1948 and in 1951, donated it to the city.

Now museum and meeting place.

In late 1999, a severe fire gutted a portion of the original house. The main house, porch, roof, and a section of the foundation all suffered significant smoke and water damage.

In response to the incident, the City of Grand Prairie city council recognized the significance of the property to Texas and Grand Prairie's history. With a limited budget, the structure was stabilized and repaired, and the building was closed.

After several years of fund-raising for additional repairs and restoration, the building and grounds are now open to the public.