W. A. Dugan was born in Albany, New York in 1846. He was raised and educated there, and served in the Union Army during the Civil War. Dugan and his wife, Anna Barstow Dugan, came to Cedar Falls in 1884 because of the growing milling business along the Cedar River. He became the first superintendent of the Cedar Falls Milling Company, and was later manager and president of the Waterloo and Cedar Falls Milling Company, founded in 1900 with a capital stock of $500,000. The Waterloo and Cedar Falls Milling Company owned six mills and controlled the waterpower in both towns. The firm employed 40 workers and could produce 1,200 barrels of flour, corn meal, pearl barley and other milled grains a day.

Dugane felt that his Irish name lacked distinction. Soon after coming to Cedar Falls he changed it to DuGane. He built this house, considered to be one of the most beautiful in town, in 1895. It was built in the Queen Anne style, with pent roofs and an unusual open tower. The original staircase is still intact, and is considered a masterpiece of intricate design. Today, the home is a private residence.