This is the oldest house in the East Lake Forest National Register district and is the only one that predates the original 1857 plat of Lake Forest. It was built by John Francis Kerrigan, who moved to Lake Forest in 1847 and married Mary Josephine McLaughlin shortly after. The original property included thirteen acres of land and was surrounded by apple orchards. By 1870, Kerrigan had started a family business known as the “Railway Express Transfer and Company.” Kerrigan met trains at the station and promptly delivered luggage or household building materials to the houses of local residents.
The home has been expanded several times over the years, including one renovation by architect Walter Frazier.