In Stella Kon's Emily of Emerald Hill, it describes the house as one of those built in 1902. It has two tennis courts, a big front lawn and was later pressed up around the new apartment blocks. Speculatively, it would be one of the bigger lots on Emerald Hill which was later surrounded by blocks of flats which Stella Kon confirms was plot No. 117. Lim Boon Keng, was one of the earlier residents of Emerald Hill, lived at No 2 Emerald Hill - known as Claregrove.