Joseph Fetzner (1855-1925) brought his young family to Grants Pass from Minnesota in 1893. The builder of his farmhouse is undocumented, but it is possible that Fetzner, the son of German immigrants, built the house himself.

The hip-roofed, woodframe farmhouse is a singular example of a vernacular cottage made distinctive by high style Eastlake and Queen Anne decorative elements.

Adapted from the NRHP nomination submitted in 1990.