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Built in 1906, the Pastor’s House is graced by distinctive red-brick arched corridors that look even lovelier against the surrounding greenery. In spring and summer the garden is a carpet of green grass, dotted with cherry trees; in winter the scene changes again, making this a secret spot for watching the Tamsui sunset. Its architecture—red-brick walls, pitched roof, covered arcade and high front steps—earned it the local nickname “Pastor’s House” after two pastors lived here. Together with the Maidens’ House it forms a pair of veranda-style Western houses whose red brick, pitched roofs, arcades and lofty steps evoke a nostalgic air. Facing the main gate of Aletheia University, of which they are part, both buildings are open only during term-time. Because they are not public tourist sites, visitors are asked to keep noise to a minimum and observe proper etiquette while quietly experiencing the century-old elegance of these two red-brick mansions. The Maidens’ House came into being when Rev. William Gauld chose a site west of the Spanish-style Mackay residence and personally designed and oversaw construction, hiring the renowned foreign-style builder Huang A-shu. Materials—brick from Xiamen and Chinese fir—were shipped in locally. Because the first occupants were Miss Isabel Goldie and Miss Jane Goldie, the Tamsui people christened it the “Maidens’ House.”