Situated on Fairview-Riverside state park, the house was built in 1885 by William Theodore Jay, who owned a sawmill near the property.
In 1906, Jay sold the property and the sawmill to the Houlton brothers, Charles and William.
The area became known as Houltonville and included the Johnson & Houlton Store, a U.S. post office, and about 250 sawmill workers.

Frank Otis, whose family owned Otis Manufacturing in New Orleans, purchased the property from the Houltons in 1936 and used the residence as a summer home until his death in 1962.
He bequeathed the house and 99 acres to the state of Louisiana, requesting it be used for public recreation.
The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The house closed for renovations in late 2010 and reopened in October 2011.
The renovations included a lead abatement treatment, structural repairs of storm damage and painting the exterior in the original color, which was determined by a professional paint analysis.
The house was used for the 1981 horror film  The Beyond.
Situated on Fairview-Riverside state park, the house was built in 1885 by William Theodore Jay, who owned a sawmill near the property. In 1906, Jay sold the property and the sawmill to the Houlton brothers, Charles and William. The area became known as Houltonville and included the Johnson & Houlton Store, a U.S. post office, and about 250 sawmill workers.
Frank Otis, whose family owned Otis Manufacturing in New Orleans, purchased the property from the Houltons in 1936 and used the residence as a summer home until his death in 1962. He bequeathed the house and 99 acres to the state of Louisiana, requesting it be used for public recreation. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.
The house closed for renovations in late 2010 and reopened in October 2011. The renovations included a lead abatement treatment, structural repairs of storm damage and painting the exterior in the original color, which was determined by a professional paint analysis. The house was used for the 1981 horror film  The Beyond.
Fairview-Riverside State Park