construction on the ephraim smith house began sometime shortly after ephraim smith's 1844 arrival in sugar grove township, kane county, illinois. smith, a millwright by trade for over 25 years, built the home himself. smith, from pawlet in rutland county, vermont, purchased 52 acres from lyman isbell and promptly returned to vermont for his family. the family occupied a small cabin while the house was being built. smith's youngest child, julia, was born in the cabin in 1845. the original house was composed of locally cut timber using the post and beam method of construction. the house is believed to be the last small frame, greek revival, rural house in kane county that remains in a largely unaltered form.