The land upon which the Phelps House is built was purchased by Colonel William H. Phelps in 1868. Designed by Colonel Phelps and completed in 1895, the house is constructed of Carthage-mined grey marble and features a mixture of Beaux Arts, Classical Revival, and Romanesque styles. It is currently owned by Carthage Historic Preservation, Inc.

The historic home boasts many unique features and architectural details including ten fireplaces with imported tile and marble, original hand-carved woodwork, hand-painted wallpaper, a hand-operated dumbwaiter, a heated coat closet, and a roof of Ludowici clay tile. The Colonel’s inventiveness and originality are evident throughout. For example, although the house was heated by a hot water system, no radiators appeared in the four public rooms on the first floor. For these rooms, radiators were placed under the floor and air was forced over the radiators and into the rooms through ducts.