The house, sited on high point not far from the Great Chestnut Tree in Woodside, lay on nine acres of land with gardens laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted. Owned by Louis Windmuller, German immigrant, New York merchant, financier, and philanthropist, the estate was one of the last in Woodside to be sold for development. In 1936 the City acquired most of the property for a park to be called Windmuller Park and in 1942 the heirs sold the remainder to a developer for construction of garden apartments.