John P. Coburn (1811-1873), a prosperous clothing dealer and property owner, hired the famous Boston architect Asher Benjamin to design a home which he eventually used as a gaming house. Built in 1843 and still standing at the corner of Phillips and Irving Streets on Beacon Hill, Coburn's Gaming House was described as a 'private place' that was 'the resort of the upper ten who had acquired a taste for gambling.' Coburn left an estate of $18,500 in real estate and $2,000 cash.