This residence was originally constructed in 1885 at the corner of College Street and Georgia Avenue as a brick Queen Anne mansion featuring a wrap-around porch, a multi-sided turret, and an ornate oversized third-story windowed dormer.  
The owners in 1911, the Shinholser family, commissioned Macon architect, Neel Reid, to update the house.  In one of his most dramatic designs, Reid transformed the Victorian home into a stately Italian villa detailed with elements from his favored style - Beaux Arts Classicism.  Reid removed the turret and stuccoed the brick exterior.  He added the arched entry porch, garlands, swag details, palladian-styled urns, and a loggia - located on the right side of the house.
Upon Mrs. Shinholser's death, the family gave the residence to adjacent Wesleyan College for use as a home for Wesleyan's President.  Madam Chiang Kai Shek lived in the Presidential residence during her years as a Wesleyan College student.  Some years later, the house became a health spa, attracting visitors nationwide for its restorative "steam vapor baths".
In 2008, Melanie Vaughn purchased the property and initiated restoration plans to update the house for 21st century living and to place it on the Federal Registry.  In the spring of 2010, project plans were completed and the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the US Department of Interior.  In addition to the restoration of the building, Ms. Vaughn has introduced an Italian-styled landscape design for this prominent residence featuring Italian cyprus, Italian ivy covered patio walls, grape arbors, figs, and olives.