Baldwin Beach moved to Ashland with his wife, Susan, in 1878.

During the decade between 1880 and 1890, Beach began his construction business that caused him to be identified in his obituary as the "Pioneer Builder of Ashland."

He built his clapboarded cottage on the westerly slope overlooking Bear Creek Valley. Though unpretentious in scale and plan, his home was nonetheless fancily decorated with an Italianate bay and stylized ornament in the Eastlake tradition to which Beach added inventive touches of his own.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1979.