Altamont House was so named circa 1760. It had been previously known as "Rose Hill" and later "Soho". The central portion of the house dates from the Seventeenth Century. The current layout of the gardens was planned by the Dawson-Bovia family who bought the estate in the 19th Century. The Lecky-Watson family moved to Altamont in 1923. When their daughter Mrs. Corona North inherited the estate she made improvements to the garden which were opened to the public. Mrs. North died in 1999 and left the state to the nation.