The Grove was built by enslaved craftsmen of African descent, many of whom were likely hired from other slave owners and had perhaps also worked to build Call's railroad. The level of their craftsmanship can be seen in the building itself, which still stands after over 175 years. While Call owned a number of slaves at this time and later became a cotton planter, there is little evidence to suggest The Grove itself ever served as a major agricultural plantation. Call was primarily involved with land speculation, his legal practice, the railroad, and politics. During the financial fallout from the Port Leon disaster in the early 1840s, of which Richard Keith Call was a major investor, The Grove was among the assets listed as collateral in settlements reached with his various creditors. The Port Leon debacle, coupled with the Tallahassee fire of 1843 (which started in a building co-owned by Call and destroyed his law office), and the failure of the Union Bank led to significant financial difficulties and a series of lawsuits against Call that lasted into the 1850s. In the ensuing settlements, Call lost some of his land holdings, but was able to keep The Grove, the Tallahassee Railroad Company, and the Orchard Pond Plantation near Lake Jackson.