In 1865 the area around Marion Square Park was considered a fashionable place to build a home. David McCully, a pioneer Salem merchant who had been successful in the California Gold Rush, built a home nearby at 891 Front Street.

The house was purchased by L. H. McMahon, an attorney and circuit court judge, in about 1900. The property was damaged in the 1962 windstorm. David Duniway, Oregon State Archivist and a leading Salem proponent of historical preservation, purchased the house and moved it to 1365 John Street where it was renovated. It is in the SCAN neighborhood and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1978).