The Architecture
The house is of the Greek Revival style, characterized by white, pillared porticos like Greek temples. Built of pale pink handmade brick, which was made nearby, it has a graceful Ionic portico, ornamental wooden banisters, made to resemble the ironwork of New Orleans, on both the upper and lower galleries, and cypress shutters.
The Times
This house is said to be the second brick house built in Waco. At the time it was built, in 1858, Waco was but a small village. Not long after the original one-room house was built, the Civil War began and many of the men from Waco went off to war. Around the turn of the century houses in this area had running water, in the kitchen only, and some electricity. The fireplaces provided heat and a wood stove would have been used for cooking. 
The Families
The first owner of this property was John Baylis Earle, who came to Waco Village in 1855 when it had fewer than 700 citizens. He purchased the land in 1856, built the original one-story brick house on the property, and on December 15, l858 he married Emma Nelson. They had three children while they lived in this house. Their fourth child was born after they moved to East Waco where Mr. Earle established a factory to manufacture textiles used for soldiers' uniforms during the Civil War. Mr. Earle took an active part in the development of Waco until his death on January 30, 1869.
 
In December 1866, H. S. Morgan purchased the property, which consisted of "three small lots embraced within the picket fence", a total of about three acres of land. The purchase price was four thousand dollars in gold specie. Mr. Morgan started the walls for the dining room and the two-story addition. In May, l868, the property was sold to Dr. John S. Napier. Dr. Napier and his wife, Mary Curtis Myatt were married on October 20, l833. They had seven children, one of whom was Sallie. Mrs. Napier died on April 28, 1872; Dr. Napier lived until December 13, l889. While they owned the property, they enlarged the house so it was as we see it today. 
Sallie Napier married Rev. David Cannon Kinnard, Jr., in Alabama on January 26, l863. They moved to Waco in 1869. He was the pastor of what is now Central Presbyterian Church from 1871 to 1873 and later owned a grocery store on Third Street and Franklin Avenue. Rev. Kinnard died in l893. Miss Mary Kinnard moved into the house when she was five years old, about 1869, probably when her family moved to Waco. She lived there until her death at age 94, on November 8, l957.
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