The McCarthy House is a classically influenced Queen Anne style residence. The clapboard and shingle sheathed house sits on a raised sandstone foundation. The steeply pitched roof with asymmetrically placed cross gables, the projecting polygonal bays and the tall decorative chimneys are all characteristic of the highly decorative Queen Anne style. Classical features include the Ionic columns, denticulated cornice and turned balusters of the front porch, as well as the Palladian motif of the second floor balcony.

The interior of the house is well preserved. Of special note is the entrance foyer. Its elaborate staircase with its arched openings filled with Japanesque spindle and ball ornamentation is the showpiece of the house. The staircase is lit by a large window on the landing; its upper half is an ornamental pane of bent wood and clear glass.

This large, two-story house was built for prominent Madison building contractor Timothy McCarthy, who used the property for both his home and office. The McCarthy firm constructed many major buildings in the city, including large portions of the State Capitol and many University of Wisconsin buildings.

Architect Lew Porter was a partner of the firm Conover and Porter, one of Madison's major architectural firms of the late nineteenth century. In addition to a large number of residences, the firm also designed schools (a specialty) and commercial buildings.

The McCarthy House is privately owned, please respect the privacy of its owners.