The estate was built in 1790 on the order of Brigadier Alexei Nikolaevich Durasov, who became wealthy after marrying Agrafena Ivanovna Myasnikova, the heiress of Ural landowners. Her father, Ivan Myasnikov, owned 15 metallurgical enterprises, and her grandfather, Boris Osipovich Tverdushev, was the burgomaster of the Merchant Chamber of Simbirsk. The alley where the house was located became known as Durasovsky.

This estate is considered one of the best examples of mature classicism in Moscow. The house was designed by architect Matvey Fyodorovich Kazakov. The cornice is made of traditional Moscow white stone. In addition to the main building, by the end of the 18th century, additional structures were erected, including a vestibule with an eight-column rotunda on the first floor and a double-height hall with a stage. The main building was connected to the outbuildings by a long gallery.

In 1812, the estate became the headquarters of General Vendemian of the French army and was damaged in a fire during the French retreat. In 1825, the house was purchased by Major General Count Matvey Alexandrovich Dmitriev-Mamonov, a participant in secret societies who refused to swear allegiance to Nicholas I and was declared insane. He spent the rest of his life under guardianship at the Vasilyevskoe estate.

In 1839, the house was bought by the Practical Academy of Commercial Sciences, which moved there in 1847. The academy was intended for the education of merchant's sons, providing them with general and specialized education. During this period, the estate was reconstructed for educational convenience: the window openings on the third floor were enlarged, and the floor level was raised. A corridor system was established on the second and third floors, causing the suite of rooms to lose its residential purpose. A cast-iron staircase was installed between the floors, and a church for students was arranged in the double-height hall.

In 1918, the academy was closed. A year later, the estate housed the Institute of Civil Engineers and engineering courses for the training of the Red Army. In 1932, the Military Engineering Academy, founded in 1819, was transferred here from Saint Petersburg.