Captain Thomas C. Harris, an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, moved to Kirksville, Missouri, after the war's conclusion. Construction of the house began in 1875, but it is unknown whether Captain Harris ever resided in the home. Shortly after its completion, it was sold to Doctor John Burton, another veteran of the Civil War. In 1895 it was purchased by Doctor A. Washington Parrish, and after his death it passed to his son, Doctor Bert Parrish, becoming known over time as the Parrish House. When Bert Parrish died in 1951, he left the house to Everella Murdock, his housekeeper. A fire destroyed the summer kitchen, wood shed, and coal storage room in 1958, and in 1965, the distinctive cupola was removed due to a weakening roof. The cupola was replaced several years later, possibly during the 1970s restoration. Everella Murdock left the house to her daughter, Mary Childers Slone. Mary Slone lived in the house until the 1980s, and in 1973 the house was placed on the National Register for Historic Places and major restoration work was done. At Mary Slone's death in 2003, she left the house to the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Daryl Shafer, the present owner, purchased the house from the Trust and oversaw additional restoration work in the early 2000s.