The Bishop family home is a fairly large estate, however it is not overly extravagant. Profession played a large role in the construction of the house. The Bishop family (because the father was a lawyer) wanted to show stability, while at the same time being careful not to flaunt their wealth. Mrs. Bishop received a sizable inheritance from her family, which helped fund the construction of the house. Due to his support of Sir Wilfred Laurier's Liberal Party, William Sr. was appointed the position of County Registrar.

The furniture in the front parlour has been made by the Jacques and Hayes Company of Toronto and is known a 'East Lake' style furniture. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the industrial revolution was in full swing; as a result of this, all of the furniture made during this era was machine manufactured and mass-produced. This is what characterizes 'East Lake' style furniture. All of the inlay on the furniture in the front parlour was machine-tooled and is quite typical of the time period. The notable exception is the green couch that was handed down through the Bishop family, it is hand carved in the older 'Empire' style. The rail lines came into Owen Sound in the 1870's allowing for furniture and/or other goods to be transported to Owen Sound, allowing the Bishops to have a wider variety of choice for decoration and building materials in the house. For example, the tile on the fireplaces is made by The Spode Company, they were imported from England.