Built about 1850, the house is one of the oldest still standing in Fort Smith. Reutzel, a native of Dormstadt, Germany, owned the largest cotton shipping firm on the Arkansas River, and used half-timbers and brick nogging in the construction of his home. Plastered both inside and out, the home featured gun ports still visible under the porch. The home was fully restored in 1973. It houses a private business and is not open to the public.