A house is already constructed on a hill in the current site of the house as a British colonial government quarters. In 1934, Agnes married Harry Keith, a British official assigned for forest conservation in Sandakan. Harry has provide a house for them and living there together for years but since it has been destroyed through war both choose not to rebuild their house in the former location. After the World War II, the new house was rebuilt between 1946 until 1947 on the hill of a destroyed house and became the first government permanent timber dwelling. The newly rebuilt and more comfortable house on the hill is located on the site of a destroyed house formerly owned by M M Clark where they renaming the new house as Newlands. Agnes lived in the house for several years before the house being owned by another few owners. After being left with no further occupants, the Sabah Museum Department together with Federal Department of Museum and Antiquities began to collaborate in 2001 to restore the house and on 26 April 2004, it was finally opened to public as a museum.
Haunted reputation
Through her years of living in the house, based on her own writings, Agnes is reportedly happy with the home, although there were some mysterious incidents of note that had happened throughout her stay in the house when Agnes everyday saw a tall unrecognisable female figure apparition. At one event she saw the apparition with family; saying goodbye to husband and taking her own baby before returning to the road in front of the house with body keep moving forward while her head managed to keep straight looking over behind. The same horror experienced earlier by Agnes also felt by the next house owner following Agnes return to the United States; a new female owner named Rosemary, the wife of G L Carson while sleeping alone in the house awaken by the sounds of a room door located at the end of the house being closed several times in early dawn and hearing footsteps that getting louder moving towards her room before shockingly saw an unrecognisable female apparition suddenly appeared at the end of her bed with eyes staring at her when she began to open her own eyes that causing her to be quickly fainted. Another incident involving a housemaid who working in the house from 1967 to 1968 saw a similar female apparition standing in the house stairs.
Features
The house has been restored and turned into a heritage house since the restoration works in 2004. The house provides insights to life during the administration of British North Borneo and is furnished with a reproduction of colonial furniture and antiques. A gallery on the first floor tells the story of Agnes, her books and her family.
