The earliest references to Ahja estate (German: Aya) are from 1553.

[2] It belonged to the Oxenstierna family in the 17th century but was later taken over by the Swedish state through one of the so-called reductions.

The present two-storey, Baroque style building with a pavilion-shaped main entrance dates from the period of ownership of François Guillemot de Villebois,[2] who was the son-in-law of Christina Glück.

In 1770, Jakob Michael Reinhold Lenz became for two years the manager of the estate.

One of these was the von Brasch, who built a burial chapel, still standing, for their family members in the manor park.