The impressive Second Empire style house at 321 West Avenue was built in 1879 for the family of Edward French. Edward owned and operated a furniture business in Cleveland. The Second Empire style is only rarely observed in Lorain County. The most visible evidence of this style is the presence of a Mansard roof where steep slopes run from the primary flat roof down to the top of the second level where the gutters are located. The Mansard portion will have dormers, often with rounded tops, and is most often covered in slate.

Early in the life of this house (circa 1930), the depressed economy dictated converting portions of the house for rentals. It also served as a group home for Betterway, Inc. During the era of the West by the River Historic District, an effort has been made to restore the house to a single family residence. The current owners are Bill and Janet Bird of Elyria.

Restoration efforts undertaken by the Birds have focused on the exterior and include painting on the sides and upper portion of the house, repointing the chimneys and adding decorative corbels, re-roofing the lower rear portion of the house, repointing the foundation stone, and repair of the porch and garage roofs.