Originally constructed in 1810 as a store by William Hardy Murfree and his partner George Gordon, the building was sold in 1814 to John Wheeler, a native on New Jersey who came south around 1790. Wheeler converted the building to a residence, as it appears today. John Hill Wheeler, his son, became famous as a legislator, treasurer of the mint in Charlotte, his nation's first minister of Nicaragua, and the first native historian on North Carolina. The house is authentically furnished with period pieces, some original to the Wheeler family. For visitors interested in the decorative arts, an outstanding and rare example of neoclassic wall coverings will be found here.