Not far from the Stables Corps, in 1823, a building was constructed according to the design of architect Rossi, initially described as a "wooden house with service rooms." The building was single-story on a high plinth made of Putilov slabs and had a U-shaped plan. The main facade featured eight windows, with doors in the center accompanied by a low porch. The windows and doors had architectural and decorative elements in the form of balusters and carved ornaments. The building was crowned with a classical cornice with "dentils," topped by a balustrade shaped like pedestals connected by three metal strips.

The side wings on the front had three window openings each, while on the inner side along the recessed part of the facade there was a gallery "with six stone columns." On the courtyard side, a similar porch was arranged in the center of the building. The rooms facing the main facade were living rooms, and the side wings housed residential rooms. All rooms, both in the front part of the building and in the side wings, had enfilade communication. Opposite the gallery, also in a U-shape, was a service building containing compartments for storing supplies, ice, and a room for the service staff. Together, the house and the service building formed a closed complex with a spacious inner courtyard.

The "wooden house with service rooms" was seriously damaged by the flood of 1824 and was partially remodeled during major repairs by architect Charlemagne the Second. Leaving Rossi’s building intact, the architect reconfigured the layout according to the task: to divide the large rooms and accommodate "eight maids of honor in eight rooms." Despite multiple repair works, by the mid-19th century the building was in a dilapidated condition.

After an inspection in 1851, "senior architect Kuzmin" reported in his statement that "the structure is in a dilapidated state due to rot in the walls and beams" and "it is currently impossible to bring it to a reliable condition." The building was completely dismantled and rebuilt according to R. Kuzmin’s design. The project preserved the fundamental Rossi planning scheme with eight window openings and doors centered on the facade. Above three window openings from the corner of the building, a second floor was added, extending along the side wings. The volumes of the second floors were connected by a balcony with a balustrade. During construction, a "small mezzanine" was added on the second floor, and the external appearance of the facades was partially simplified. These reconstructions practically completed the formation of the appearance of the Maids of Honor House, which has remained largely unchanged to this day.

After the addition of the second floor to the main building wings, each floor housed four identical, symmetrically arranged apartments, provided to the maids of honor accompanying the imperial family, and the building became known as the Maids of Honor House. Each apartment had four rooms – a living room, bedroom, anteroom, and a sitting room, sometimes used as a servants' room. All apartments were furnished almost identically, with all necessary conveniences. The floors were parquet, the walls apparently plastered and painted. The single-story middle section contained a common dining room with a fireplace and a buffet. From the dining room, one could pass through adjoining rooms to the boudoir, or to the staircase leading to the second floor, or exit to the courtyard. The building’s exterior, which once featured turned balusters under each window, carved wreaths, rosettes, palmettes, and a cornice with medallions, generally echoed the decoration of other secondary utility and residential buildings on the island.

From the second half of the 19th century, the Maids of Honor House, the Cavalier House, and the Grand Duke’s Corps were occupied in summer by the Tsar’s close associates. Over the long existence of the ensemble, the Maids of Honor House was used as a residential building, a hotel, and a day recreation base.

Since May 2016, after the completion of restoration, costume balls for children and adults in the historical traditions of the 19th century have been held in the Maids of Honor Corps.

Sources:

https://elaginpark.org/central-park/dvortsovo-parkovyy-ansambl/freylinskiy-korpus/