The house was built between 1841 and 1843 by Finnish laborers brought in by the Russian-American Company. It was the home of Ivan Veniaminov, the first Bishop of Alaska, who is now honored as Saint Innocent of Alaska.
From here he oversaw Orthodox schools and missions among the Alaska Native peoples of southern Alaska. The number of Orthodox worshippers in the region nearly doubled between 1841 and 1860.
After the 1867 sale the diocese moved to San Francisco in 1872, and the house became housing for priests and an inn. The National Park Service bought the property in 1973 and restored it as part of Sitka National Historical Park.