According to Norma Conklin Kern, the Florence Hageman Conklin house was built by her father, Herbert Conklin, as an investment for her mother, at about the time her parents were married, in 1891. Her parents never lived there, but acquired the house across the road (East Broadway) from his brother, Eugene, who had built it a year or so earlier.

Eugene then moved into the late 18th century Anderis Onderdonk House (TG 1970-71), on the grounds of what later became the Conklin, Tubby and Conklin Lumber Yard in which he and Herbert were partners. Mrs. Kern described the house as having "four rooms; two up, two down, and no plumbing. There was a privy behind the house, in the northeast corner of the plot." This would have been of the simple, late 19th-early 20th century type (Captain Jacob Mott Kirby Storehouse, TG 1986-87).

The house was rented until 1921. In that year Norma Kern's brother, Mortimer Conklin, married and moved in with his bride. The two-storey, pitched roof, east wing was constructed for the convenience of the bridal couple and plumbing probably was installed at that time. The Mortimer Conklins remained in the house only for two or three years, after which it was rented again. In 1932, Norma Kern and her husband, George, moved into the house. They remained there until 1942, when they inherited her parents' house, across the street. In the same year the house was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Oland. During the 1960's, Mrs. Oland added the single storey north wing as an apartment for her mother. In 1986 she sold the house to Marshall and Mary Ward.