Henry was the son of William Green and Mary Jane (Derrick) Stephens. 
Henry’s father died at an early age and left Henry’s mother with the 
responsibility of raising the family. His mother was a sister to Dr. Lafayette Derrick. At Dr. Derrick’s death, he left his sister a lot of land and property.

In 1911 Henry built his house in the north part of town on property inherited from his mother. In 1908 his mother made a deed to Henry that if he took care of her until death all the property would be his. She died in 1908. However, other heirs challenged Dr. Derrick’s will and it took until 1911 for Henry to get a clear title to build. When Henry built this house he modified the farmhouse roof to gables instead of dormers since this was a one-story house.  Martha Stephens died here in 1918.

Henry had worked with George Bulman extensively in the timber business and this training developed the skill in him to prepare his timber for the building of his home. He built dwellings and stores for others and was also in the mercantile business.

Tom M. Cobb dug some wells and built a dwelling on the property before Henry inherited it. This dwelling had a workshop upstairs where Tom Cobb made coffins. He made the coffins, took a yoke of oxen and buried the dead for only seven dollars. These coffins were made of undressed lumber, trimmed with it or without; the cheaper ones were trimmed with domestic and black calico, the costlier ones were trimmed in velvet.