The structure was originally built by the Fayad family, and operated as a silk factory between 1901 and 1954.[1] In 1990, for a short time, the factory and the grounds were occupied by the Syrian army.[2] It was restored by its owners, George and Alexandra Asseily, with the help of Jean-Louis Mange, to serve as a museum.[3] The museum opened in 2000 and highlights the 1,500-year-old history of silk production in Lebanon, which ended when the last silk mill closed in the 1970s.[4]