The Morcos family had heavy economic burdens during the great depression of the early 30's. They sold the building to the Jamal family, who held the house for a short period, until they sold it to the architect Karl Hermann Imberger, who originally designed it in 1934. After the Templers were deported to Australia in 1941, the building was rented to various families.
The building served as the Embassy of Uruguay from 1957 to 1980. In 1989, the 1,200-ton building was moved 16 meters from the center of the lot on which it stood to the southern side of the lot. A special work crew with experience in moving buildings was brought in from Poland for this purpose. Belts of concrete and steel cable held the structure in place as it was raised by hydraulic jacks and pushed along rails to reach the location of its new foundations. The exceptionally imposing, attractive, Jerusalem-stone building sits on a 900 square meter plot and contains 5,500 square feet of usable space. Entirely remodeled to meet the Center’s needs, the building itself is surrounded by a beautiful, well-kept garden.
Today Beit Milken is home of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.
