A native of Normandy in France, he married a Filipina from Batangas where he initially began experimenting with sugar production before relocating to Negros.

With donations from prominent individuals and a PhP5,000,000.00 assistance from the Philippine Tourism Authority, the structure was repaired and furnished with period furniture and fixtures.

In 2023 the museum was closed temporarily, as the house needed major restoration and was returned to members of the Gaston family.

The house's upper storey is constructed of wood topped with a roof of galvanized iron instead of tile (reflecting the late-19th century trend started in Manila owing to a rule discouraging the use of tiles in favor of then-novel hiero as roofing material in the aftermath of the 1880 Luzon earthquakes).

The lower storey itself is elevated from ground level by a metre-high crawlspace, allowing the wooden foundations to be aired, preventing dampness from rotting the wood.