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The George Ferris Mansion and carriage house are excellent examples of the popular Victorian architectural style known as Queen Anne. The design of the building came from a well known architectural firm, Barber and Klutz, located in Knoxville, Tennessee. The Ferris House is a locally prominent landmark which derives its significance from two principal areas: commerce and architecture.

The historical significance of the building lies with its association with George Ferris, one of Wyoming's more prominent businessmen. He gained statewide political prominence as a member of the House in the 1873 and 1875 Territorial Legislative Assemblies and as a delegate to the Wyoming Constitutional Convention from Carbon County. By the time ground was broken in 1899 for his house overlooking Rawlins, Ferris had acquired sole ownership of the Ferris-Haggarty mine in the Grand Encampment copper mining district and was at the zenith of his financial success.

Designed by an architect nationally known for opulent houses, this small mansion was intended to represent the family's ascension into the ranks of the state's wealthy elite. Ferris, however, was killed near his mine the following year, and it was left up to his widow Julia to complete the building three years later. Architecturally, the house is an excellent example of Queen Anne residential design. Completed in 1903, nearly two decades after its architectural peers in Cheyenne and Laramie, the Ferris House is perhaps the last of the great Victorian mansions built in Wyoming.