The original Wave Hill House was built in 1843 by William Lewis Morris in Greek Revival style.
Theodore Roosevelt, Sr., leased the house from 1870-71. Another celebrated tenant, Mark Twain, made Wave Hill a social milieu of literary greats during 1901-03. Other famous residents of Wave Hill House have included the conductor Arturo Toscanini (1942-1945) and chief members of the British Delegation to the United Nations (1950-1956).
The house currently houses a cafe with grand views of the New Jersey Pallisades and Hudson River, a gallery, and programs for the Wave Hill garden.