At the end of the 17th century, a major fire destroyed nearly 600 wooden houses in the center of Sint-Niklaas. This beautiful mansion was one of the rare first stone civic buildings constructed after the fire. The building was constructed in the Louis XVI style, a rather austere and symmetrical style. It is characterized by classical decorations, such as the wooden dormers and the triangular pediment shown here.

In the 19th century, the owners at the time established a cotton factory on the site. Thanks to prudent management and timely modernization during the Industrial Revolution, it grew into a successful company.

Early 20th century, the buildings were sold and repurposed into a vocational and craft school, which soon proved to be of great importance for the development of the city's textile industry. In 2008, the last students moved out of these historic buildings.