The Barltolotti House was built in the 17th Century for Willem van den Heuvel, who at that time was one of the richest merchants in town. The residence received the new name that its owner had chosen for himself, Guillelmo Bartolotti. The stylish mansion was designed by the already reknowned Hedrick de Keyser. The impressive facade features symbols of what a merchant considered the values determining success: 'Ingenio et Assiduo Labore' (Ingenuity and Continued Labour) and 'Religione and Probitate' (Religion and Virtue).

Barltolotti's mansion is one of the three surviving examples of the early 17th Century housing with additional wings, the predecessor of the model of the double canal house. The other two such buildings in Amsterdam are the Dolphin (Single) and the House with the Heads (Keizersgracht). A special construction similar to a dormer window supports a Baroque stepped gable. Balustrades and pilasters on either side of the gable make the house seem taller as well as create the impression of a second floor. The elaborate facade is decorated with small sandstone blocks, scrolls, vases, and broken pediments.