The house was built in 1930–1931, and David Ben-Gurion and his family lived there from June 1931 until 1953, when they moved to a small wooden house in Kibbutz Sde-Boker in the Negev desert, after which they returned to the Tel Aviv house only part of each year. The house was built on Jewish National Fund (JNF) land, when the first shechunat ha-po’alim (lit. workers neighborhood, i.e. a workers housing project) was established there in 1930–31, as Shechunat HaPo’alim Aleph, at the junction of Jewish National Fund Boulevard and Lassalle Street. The Jewish National Fund (Hebrew: Keren Kayemet Le’Israel) Boulevard was renamed to Ben-Gurion Boulevard after the politician’s death in 1973. The house was designed by engineer David Tuvia, and as customary in “workers neighborhoods” in Israel at the time, the house included only one room and was worth 350 British Mandate pounds. The Ben-Gurion family asked for permission to build a second floor, which was granted. The house was expanded in 1946, and renovated in 1960.
In his will Ben-Gurion requested to bequest the house to the State of Israel, as is stated:
“I hereby bequeath to the State of Israel my house in Tel Aviv”
— Ben-Gurion’s will
Three years after Ben-Gurion died, the Ben-Gurion law 1977 was enacted, which stipulates that the house will be open to the public, and will serve as a museum in memory of Ben-Gurion and as a commemoration of his legacy, as well “as a Reading, Reviewing and Research center“, as Ben-Gurion himself requested. The house was opened to the public on 29 November 1974, and as of today, guided tours and symposiums are conducted in the house, with the purpose of depicting Ben-Gurion’s character and life work as a leader. In addition, memorabilia, historical documents, and Ben-Gurion’s titles awarded to him when he was prime minister are exhibited in the house. The Boulevard in which the house is situated, was called at the time Ben-Gurion lived there, Keren Kayemet Boulevard (“Jewish National Fund Boulevard”), and was renamed Ben-Gurion Boulevard after Ben-Gurion died. The name Keren Kayemet Boulevard was then moved to a central street within a northern Tel Aviv neighborhood, Ever Ha-Yarkon suburb, and is still named after the JNF today.
