The first wing which was just a small cottage was built in 1862. In 1867 it was bought by the O'reilly family. Peter O' Reilly was among the social elite and was a gold rush magistrate and comminsioner. He lived ther with his wife and children. Over the years it as had many changes and addittions made to it .It remained a home to the O' Reilly family until they sold it to the provincial goverment in 1974.It is now a museum and the gardens have also been restored.

Some of the ghosts that are said to haunt here are a little boy in one of the outbuildings, a lady in a blue dress, a boy that seem to be frightened, and a couple of ghosts in the dining room, also footsteps have been heard in the attic and the piano as been known to play by itself.