 Both of the owners had close ties to Chicago's meatpacking industry; Edward was the president of Morris & Company, while Helen was the daughter of Gustavus Franklin Swift, the founder of Swift & Company.The Richardsonian Romanesque home was most likely designed by Chicago architects Willett & Pashley.Its design includes a rusticated stone exterior, porches supported by stone columns, a dentillated cornice, and a turret and stone gable projecting from the roof.