Jacob Van Orden, a prominent businessman in the city of Baraboo, commissioned the Milwaukee architectural firm of Ferry and Clas to design this three-story residence. George and Carl Isenberg, locally noted builders, were responsible for its construction in 1903. The house was completed at a cost of $35,000. This fine local example of the Tudor Revival style is faced with brick on the first floor and foundation with stucco and false half-timber details on the upper floors. The varied roofline gives the building visual interest; its eight gables are trimmed with bargeboards and pendants.

The relatively narrow street elevation of the house masks its true size. Likewise, this façade displays only two stories of windows. On the interior, the house was planned both for family living and for entertaining. It contains fourteen rooms, four bathrooms, and a ballroom on the third floor. The house retains its original room configurations and decorative finishes, including plasterwork, paneling, tilework, and built-in cabinets. Each room on the main floor is finished with a different wood; for example, the living room uses cherry, while the dining room and study are in oak. The small reception room, located near the front door, is finished in bird's eye maple and has an elaborate cornice.

The house remained in the Van Orden family until 1938 when it was sold to the Sauk County Historical Society. The building opened in 1939 as the new home of the Sauk County Historical Museum and is open to the public during the summer season.