This home was built in 1880 and sold to Elizabeth Smart in January 1880 for $1000. Elizabeth was the widow of Jonathan Smart. In 1882, the Dowling family purchased the property from Elizabeth for investment purposes.
 
Over the next 63 years of ownership by the Dowlings, the house saw several different tenants including Horatio B. Devol, a New Albany bicycle merchant, and later, Miss Agnes Kannapel, who lived here for over 25 years.
 
Less than one month after Agnes’s passing in June 1945, her sister and brother-in-law, Lenora and John Elbert, purchased the house. This began almost a 30 year occupancy of the home by the Elbert family. John was retired form the Santa Fe Railroad as a boiler inspector. He died at the age of 86 years in March 1964. Lenora remained in the home until shortly before her death in April 1973 at 96 years.