The property is a significant remnant of Spokane's eastward development, and is associated with the lives of Oliver C. Ross and his son, Edward D. Ross, and Oliver’s brother Andrew Jackson Ross, all of whom were instrumental in the commercial and agricultural development of the Spokane Valley and beyond. In 1929, the property entered a second phase when Mary Palmerio converted the house into "Mary's Italian Restaurant," gaining a regional and national reputation which is remembered today.