Belonging to the Werden Abbey in the 11th century, the then large farm was first mentioned in the abbey’s register as “suyta Hevinne”. Later it was given as a fief to noble servants by the Werden abbots. In 1344 the feudal tenant was Henrici de Lutzelowe, a member of the von Lüttelnau family, whose ancestral seat was a manor in what is now the Essen district of Kettwig, which is still remembered by the Essen Kattenturm. The knights later called themselves “von der Hevene” after the nearby village and expanded the courtyard into a moated castle.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the property came to the Lords of Vaerst (also called "von dem Vorste"), who also owned the manor of Kallenberg near Kirchende. At that time, Haus Heven was expressly mentioned as a castle, to which a mill belonged. After the Knights of Vishusen temporarily sat on the estate, it first passed to the "vom Holte" and from 1527 to the Knights of Elverfeld, who held the fief until 1627. In 1629 another member of the von Vaerst family was enfeoffed: Conrad von Vaerst zum Callenberg. His descendant, Baron Ludolf Bernhard von Vaerst, sold Haus Heven on March 25, 1747 for 46,800 Reichstaler to Wilhelm Ludolf von Boenen zu Berge.
After it had been in the possession of the Barons von der Recke for a short time, it came to the Counts of Westerholt-Gysenberg through members of the von Boenen family.
An 1816 register of pertinence belonging to the estate describes the estate's dwelling as a building that was "moderately finished" and "hardly resembled the old knight's seat." The moat surrounding the estate buildings was at that time completely muddy.