Following the discovery of gold in early 1852 and the rapid depletion of placer deposits, agriculture quickly replaced mining as the mainstay of the economy in Jackson County.

Built around 1900, the Frank Bybee farmhouse is a late example of Rural Gothic architecture remarkable for a pair of wall dormers in the principal facade and for an intact water tower, one of a small number still standing in Jackson County.

The property is significant to Jackson County for its association with the son of William Bybee, who was among the earliest settlers in the Rogue River Valley and whose Classic Revival home north of Jacksonville has been entered into the National Register. The Frank Bybee House is the only house of note still standing in the area to represent the fortunes of the second generation of the settler family.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1981.