It was originally built as Ashland House in 1846 and was built by mormon craftsmen, the first owner William Robinson had it built to serve steamboat travellers. In 1857 The Ashland was brought by Lewis and Nancy Mason and changed the name to Phoenix House, but the local people called it Mason House and the name stayed. The inn withstood 5 floods and was used as a holding hospital for soldiers during the civil war. The inn was sold to the Redhead family in 1956, they brought the old Bonaparte train station and had it put next to the inn and made this into a general store. It was sold in 1989 to Bill and Sheral McDermet who carried out extensive refurbishment and connected the general store to the house to make way for more rooms. Chuck and Joy Hanson then brought it in 2001 and continue on the running of the inn.

The inn is thought to be haunted by a few ghosts, maybe due to 3 of its previous owners dieing there, soldiers using it during the civil war as a hospital and also a murder. Some of the ones thats have been 'seen' are a ld lady, a young boy, an old man and a misty image.Also there are sudden changes in temperature and the sound of a squeaky rocking chair when there is not one in the room and the sound of footsteps.