It is said that this house belonged to a minister in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, and was later divided and sold. After the founding of New China, it was purchased by the Ministry of Culture as the residence of the painter Qi Baishi. Because the old man missed his hometown in Xicheng, he lived here for a while and then moved back to Xicheng. This place was changed to Qi Baishi Memorial Hall (established before his death). During the Cultural Revolution, the memorial hall was cancelled and changed to Beijing Painting Academy. Now he is the editorial department of Chinese painting in Beijing Painting Academy and the seat of Beijing Artists Association.
The house was built in the middle and late Qing Dynasty, and 13 is only a part of the original house, which is a relatively complete single courtyard. Sit facing south, with one gate (not the original gate) and two inverted rooms. There are three rooms in the south, north, east and west of the courtyard, all of which are roofs with hard roofs, tiles and ridges, leading out from the porch. There is a sparrow body double in the corridor, with the upside-down lintel above and the stool railing below. Houses are connected by corner corridors. There are three rooms in the north wing, three rooms in the east wing and three rooms in the west wing, and three rooms in the south wing are connected with the western hillside. There are exquisite brick carvings on the top of each room, brick carvings carved by calligraphy on the walking boards between corridors, and woodcut couplets on the wooden partition of the North House. The west wall on the south side of the west wing is decorated with a brick, engraved with the words "purple gas comes from the east".
Bricks and wood carvings in this yard are very valuable. On June1986 65438+1October 2 1 day, it was announced as a cultural relics protection unit in Dongcheng District.