The home has been occupied by only two families. Judge Josiah Gordon built the house and his family lived in the home for twenty years. Josiah served in the Maryland House of Delegates and was a President of the C&O Canal. The second and last family to occupy the home was the W. Milnor Roberts family. Mr. Roberts was an engineer involved in building railroads in Brazil. During the early time period of the Roberts family, Cumberland was the second largest city in Maryland and Washington Street, on which the home is located, was a political arena. Governor Lloyd Lowndes, state senators, and U.S. House of Representatives members lived on the street and were entertained by the Roberts family.

Today the home is owned by the Allegany County Historical Society. Visitors today have the opportunity to explore life in the late 1800s of an upper middle class family and their servants. The period rooms of three floors of the home display all aspects of home life - furnishings, clothing, textiles, art, toys, and more. Tours are offered year round, Tuesday through Saturday from 10AM-4PM on the hour.