Robert Means may have started as a newcomer in Beaufort when his parents moved to South Carolina, but he really made a name for himself when he became a successful plantation owner. Such great achievements allowed him to marry a Barnwell daughter and marry off his to the children of other prominent families in Beaufort.

His house, however, known as the Robert Means House is believed to have been acquired from John Bull. It was in the family until the 1860s, and was later acquired by a local Republican politician, George Gage, in 1872. In 1919, it was purchased by Major Edward Denby who was later appointed as the Secretary of the Navy by President Warren Harding. From its long line of owners, it could be said that the house has also seen a lot of historic events in its walls. Today, it still hosts special events occasionally.