The house and surrounding structures were self-built by Cabot Abram Yerxa (1883–1965),[3] an early 20th-century homesteader in the Coachella Valley.

[nb 1] It is named as "Cabot’s Old Indian Pueblo Museum" in its application for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.

[10] This same aquifer provides fresh water to the city of Desert Hot Springs and has received awards for exceptional taste.

[nb 2] Eyraud and his family purchased the complex, restoring it and later donating it to the City of Desert Hot Springs.

[15] The pueblo and all the outbuildings on the site were built primarily from scrap wood and sheet metal all scavenged from the surrounding desert by Yerxa.

[26] In 2008 the Museum Foundation opened "Cabot's Trading Post & Gallery" to feature artwork from local artists.

[28] The museum is developing plans to expand visitor facilities including an amphitheater, hiking trails, and a cultural campus.

[30] In 2010 the Balboa Art Conservation Center of San Diego, California, conducted a study of the museum and reported that improvements in air filtration, lighting, and landscape irrigation were needed.