On April 16, 1859, Samuel A. Riggs arrived in Lawrence and began to practice law. Shortly thereafter he met and married Catherine Earle. In the spring of 1863 construction of a home at 1501 Pennsylvania was began. On August 21, 1863 the construction site was burned by Quantrill's raiders. The home was finally completed in November of 1864 and the Riggs' moved into their home. Sometime between 1910 and 1914 a two-story addition was made to the rear of the house. The Riggs family lived in the home for 50 years. The home was rented to a Lawrence doctor, who used it as a hospital. In 1920 the home passed to Samuel's son, Henry Riggs. The home was sold in 1923 to professor C. A. Kent who reportedly sold it back to the Riggs family for a $3,000 loss. In 1931 the property was sold to Professor Austin H.Turney and his wife Emily P. Turney. She lived in the home until her death in 1990, when their son, also Austin H. Turney, took possession. The younger Mr. Turney and his wife Ruth still live in the house.