The Anderson House is a belated vernacular version of the Queen Anne style. Notwithstanding its refreshing naivete, it is the most imposing and originally crafted of a small group of brick houses built in Gold Hill in the early 20th century when a local brickyard was active.

Thomas Anderson, a builder by trade, acquired his parcel of slightly more than half an acre in 1903. Tax records indicate the first substantial improvements were commenced in 1905. Anderson worked his gold mine in the Siskiyou Mountains in neighboring Josephine County in the winter months and for several years continued his home building project in summer until the house was completed in 1911.

The name, The Cornerstones, has been applied to the building since 1922 when it was operated as a boarding house.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1990.