The villa is very prominent in the terrain, being situated atop a crag.

[1] [2] It was commissioned by banker Jørgen Haslev Heftye, and was finished in 1864.

The architect was Georg Andreas Bull (1829–1917).

After the reorganization of the State Railways, the property has been owned by Rom Eiendom, a subsidiary of Bane NOR responsible for managing the commercial sections of the company's real estate.

Tenants in the later years include Norwegian Directorate for Public Libraries and, currently, the company Mantena, the former workshop unit of the Norwegian State Railways.