It's a grand old structure with a fascinating history and engaging back story.

Situated on Route 322 about a half mile east of Brickerville, The Checkerboard House is probably one of the most unusual buildings in Lancaster County. Constructed in 1754, the aesthetically appealing, Georgian-style house has outlasted 11 owners, although each has left behind specific elements that have helped shape the current building.

On land leased from William and Thomas Penn, Valentine Stoner built what would later become known as The Checkerboard House over a period of eight years in the 1750s. Over the next 270 years, The Checkerboard House served as a great many things to a great many people, including a residence and a tavern.

At one point, the building was one of the few inns on Route 322, then a popular throughway between Philadelphia and Harrisburg.

First dubbed the Spotted House because of its unique masonry pattern of alternating dark and light stones on the exterior, the 3,800-square-foot structure forever became The Checkerboard House in the 1800s. But as curious as The Checkerboard House appears from the outside, its interior is even more beautiful.

In 1997, The Checkerboard House was purchased by the Miller family and opened for public viewing and as a venue for selling gifts, crafts and flowers. The current owner, who chose not to be identified for this article, purchased the property in 2014.

Although he has not opened the house to the public, the current owner has painstakingly appointed each of the three-story Checkerboard House's 12 rooms with antique furnishings and accessories in an attempt to keep it true to its place in local history.

"Its history is important to me," said the current owner. "I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of finding furniture and antiques (for) each room."

"It has such a historical significance," the current owner noted. "Here is a very unique house that has stood the test of time, and it has not been modernized. When you walk in, it's like you walk back in time. I think there's a genuine interest in early homes and what they looked like."

The Checkerboard House features a 19th-century kitchen, bedrooms, a sewing room, two parlors and a relaxing or entertainment room. Double front doors open into a hall, and the house includes an oak stairway banister, hardwood floors throughout and deep windowsills.

"I've always been into history," added the current owner. "In the past, I had bought a house or two and restored them, but none as old as this. At one point, I decided I needed a retirement project and that I was going to restore the interior. It was a project and I loved doing it."