Elias Ritts, originally from Berks County, came to Petersburg in 1836, and four years later began building and piloting flatboats on the Clarion River to ship iron to Pittsburgh. His handsome two-story stone house has the traditional five-bay arrangement and is of such substantial appearance and excellent integrity that it stands out in the community. The eaves are lined with dentils and have deep returns on the gable ends. The oversized windows have simple, elegant trim. The L-shaped footprint of the original stone portion is nearly squared by a large frame addition on the rear.