Built between 1892 and 1894, the W.B. Smith Whaley House is a notable example of Queen Anne style architecture seen throughout Columbia, SC. As the name suggests, the house was constructed as a private residence for Whaley who developed textile mills and served as President of the Columbia Electric Street Railway and Mill Stable Company. Its stylistic form and detail with its corner turret, irregular plan, and variety of wall texture (shingles and horizontal boards), distinguish it as the only structure of this type in Columbia.