The mansion is named after Hans Bogislav Graf von Schwerin, who bought the building in 1913 and had it converted into a palace. Originally there was a signal tower ("Sperlingslust") from 1890, which fell into disrepair and was converted into a "castle ruin" by Wilhelm Sander.
Today the house is privately owned and cannot be visited. A special feature is the 104m deep well, which reaches down to the groundwater.
It is one of the symbols of Windhoek.