It is a large two-story, buff brick and terra cotta, Renaissance Revival-style mansion. It consists of a two-story main block with flanking single-story pavilions, and two symmetrical two-story rear ells project to give the home a U-shaped plan. Other contributing resources are the garage (c. 1929) and swimming pool (c. 1929). The entire property is a triple plat.[2]
The home was designed by architecture firm Benton & Benton of Wilson, North Carolina, and built between 1927 and 1929 for businessman Walter Franklin McCanless (1887–1958), son of Napoleon Bonaparte McCanless.[2] The construction cost was reported to be $250,000 (over $4.5 million in modern dollars).[2] It has been described as the county's "finest Italian Renaissance Revival house ... whose grandeur is unrivalled" in the area.[2]