The following verbiage is taken from the National Register of Historic Places to describe the significance of this former residence:
The William and Nannie Naucke House, completed c.1883, is a two-story wood frame Late 19th Century Vernacular style dwelling located in Kerby. The Naucke family lived here until the 1920s. Since 1959 it has served as the primary element of the "Kerbyville Museum" complex and has been preserved to interpret a typical 19th-century house in the Illinois Valley area. Kerby is about 28 miles southwest of Grants Pass, and 2-1/2 miles north of Cave Junction. It is located in a small valley surrounded by steep slopes of the Klamath Mountains. The Naucke house is located on almost four acres and is surrounded by various historic and support structures used by the museum. There are large oak trees and a expansive lawn used for social gatherings. A paved lot with circular access is adjacent to the highway.
This two-story house is of wood frame construction with drop or novelty siding and cornerboards. The restrained decorative detailing includes pedimented window heads and a bay window on the south side. The windows are two-over-two double hung wood sash. One of the most distinctive features is the two story full length front porch supported by square columns with a screened in area at the second level.Several published reports indicate that the second story of the front porch was added or enclosed in 1916 under the direction of the second owner, Tom Hutton. On the lower level is another screened porch off of the kitchen area. There is a one-story open shed/barn/garage structure attached to the rear of the house.
When the house was converted to museum use in 1959, few changes were made to the house. The primary alteration was the addition of a wheelchair ramp (date unknown), located beneath the connecting canopy that joins the Naucke House and the "annex" is built of wood and painted to match the front porch.
The front entrance is just off center and incorporates a 15-light wood and glass door that appears original. The house was built in the hall-parlor plan, popular during the mid to late 19th century in the West. There is a central stairway and "hall" area on one side with the formal "parlor" on the other. The central stairway is simply designed and displays the craftsmanship of early builders in the area. Light fixtures, lath and plaster walls and ceiling, plank flooring (covered with carpet), baseboards, door and window moldings, multi-paneled doors, and hardware appear to the original to the house. The kitchen contains wood wainscot, a non-original wood stove, and a pantry area behind a "Dutch" door, where wood shelves display various kitchen implements.
The upstairs has two bedrooms on either side of the stairway, and a small room over the kitchen currently called the "sewing room". The detailing of the woodwork is less ornate, typical treatment for the second, more private spaces. As on the first level, most of the features appear to be original.
The other buildings on the site include the Grimmet School, a one story log structure built in 1898 and relocated to this site in 1961. It is considered non-contributing. The Taylor Creek Mines Cabin, built in 1933 and moved to the museum in 1981, is also non-contributing. The Naucke Barn or "Shop", built c. 1883, was apparently erected along with the main house. Two large sets of swinging wooden doors open into the interior which is being used to interpret an early blacksmith shop. It is a contributing structure. The covered implement shed, built in 1976, and the Museum building, built in 1964, and a small shed, built in 1959, are non-historic non-contributing. The caretaker's residence (mobile home) is movable and not counted.
The Naucke house is significant for its association with the early history of Josephine County and is the best and earliest identified example of its architectural type in the vicinity. The town of Kerbyville developed on what had been the Kerby Ranch in 1852-53, and was at one time the county seat. Kerby was the major trading center of the Illinois Valley through the 1860s-70s. The coming of the railroad in 1883 to Grants Pass impacted the development of Kerby, but it continued as a focal point in the Illinois Valley through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 1916 Kerby had a population of 215 people and was the fourth largest community in Josephine County. The town's economy was noted for "general farming, dairying, livestock raising, and lumbering. With the rise in popularity of the automobile, Main Street became a major "highway" between Grants Pass and northern California. Today, Kerby retains a small commercial and service-oriented core along the Redwood Highway and a few timber-related manufacturing plants and residences. The Kerbyville Museum plays an important role in the area's growing tourism.
William and Nannie Naucke arrived in the 1850s as part of the gold boom and were living in Kerby by 1860. William, a candymaker by trade, owned and operated the Naucke Store, one of the more prominent dry goods and general mercantile establishments in Kerby. He was also active in county politics and served as Kerby's postmaster. The Nauckes built this house by 1883 and William lived here until 1894 when he died and left the estate to Nannie. The 1900 census record documents the 68-year old Nannie as head of the household with "property rent" as her primary source of income. Nannie died in 1906 and the property was inherited by their daughter, Delia and her husband J. Frank Stith (known as Frank).
Frank was born in Indiana, lived in Montana and moved to Kerby after his marriage to Delia. He became a partner in the reorganized "Stith and Naucke" store with his brother-in-law, Theodore (known as Biz).
He was also involved in mining operations and acted as Kerby's postmaster. He died in 1920. Delia moved to Seattle in 1923, and the other Naucke heirs sold the home. Several private owners occupied the house until it was purchased by the Illinois Valley Federated Woman's Club in 1958.
There are only two other known 19th century resources in Kerby: The Grimmet School, moved to the site in 1959, and the IOOF Hall, built in 1876. The William and Nannie Naucke house is believed to be the oldest standing structure in the community and the one best associated with its early history.