This Victorian Italianate architectural style home was completed in 1881 and occupied by the William Snowden family. During the winter, heating of the home was so difficult that the family retreated to their apartment over Mr. Snowden's pharmacy. Thus, it became known as the Snowden Summer Home.
Since Mr. Snowden had three daughters, the home was a gathering place for many young people, and became a center of culture and music. Originally, the large drawing room was a parlor with a sitting room to the northeast. The drawing room also served as a music parlor where many young people were instructed in their first piano lessons.
William Snowden died in 1889, making his wife, Delia, sole owner. She transferred the property to Lillian Russell Lamson. On September 15, 1922, the Snowden House was purchased by the Waterloo Women's Club. The Snowden House Foundation, created in 1984, owned the property until August 13, 1997, when it joined the Grout Museum District. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its exterior.