the house was originally paid for by amelia collins, a wealthy american baháʼí, who felt the facilities of the previous westerner's pilgrim house at 4 haparsim were inadequate. its construction was started under the instruction of ʻabdu'l-bahá, but was only completed during the time that shoghi effendi was the head of the baháʼí faith. although it served originally as the pilgrim house for the westerners, it has been used for other purposes more recently: