In contrast to the Maxwell Apartments, the Vines Collier-Howard House incorporates an old "plain-style" house into the Greek Revival style with such integrity that from the exterior only the profile of the shed roof on the facade indicates its existence. The older house is believed to have been built by Vines Collier, a veteran of the French and Indian War, from whose son the present owner's grandfather, W. T. Howard, purchased the house. According to E. Walker Howard, the house was remodeled to its present form before 1850. The side of the old house became the new facade with a "plantation plain-style" front entrance under a portico. The portico is gabled into the hip roof, the classic pediment supported by four giant columns and pilasters. The columns have a necking or applied moldings, and the frieze and soffit between the columns are paneled. Eighteen and fifteen-light double sashes are used in the windows, which also had blinds on the exterior. Two chimneys were added with the renovation. The last original chimney was on the dining room wall, but although the mantelpiece remains inside, the chimney was removed.

     The older house was built over a basement still in use; four rooms were on the first floor with an enclosed stair case to the second floor bedrooms. Walls were plastered above the chair rail and dado. Four-panel doors have replaced some of the original board and batten doors which were hung on HL hinges with leather washers used on the hardware. The back door into the kitchen  had a wooden latch. Mantelpieces were probably all like the one in the dining room; five feet, eight inches high, paneled and pegged together. Three rooms and an entry hall make up the new addition. A living room and bedroom downstairs and one, bedroom upstairs were added. Front rooms on both floors open into the  central hall and stair which replaced the front porch of the old house. The interiors are plastered, but no chair rails were used. In the back bedroom a coat rail extends around a portion of the room.

     A wash-kitchen and dairy contemporary with the house remain in the backyard. The old kitchen with a log walkway from the house was removed recently. Earlier, there was a "dry well," or pit, used to store milk and butter. Mr. Howard recalls that these products were placed in a basket and lowered to the bottom to be kept cool.

     Gas has at last replaced open fires, and electric lights were installed in 1940. A bathroom was partitioned from one end of the old shed rooms in 1966.