The gatehouse was constructed in 1895 in accordance with Henry Shaw's will, which provided a residence for the groundskeeper of the mausoleum, museum building, and surrounding area—now the Doris Waters Harris Lichtenstein Victorian District. The gatehouse was designed by St. Louis architect George I. Barnett, who also designed Tower Grove House and the Henry Shaw Townhouse, which is now the northern section of Shoenberg Administration Building. 

During the twentieth century, the gatehouse housed other Garden employees, such as the Director of the Garden, Assistant to the Director, and Garden Superintendent. Retired Garden rosarian and superintendent Alfred Saxdal and his wife Priscilla were the last residents of the cottage and lived in the house until 2001.

Through a generous gift from the Herring family, the renovation of the gatehouse cottage and surrounding gardens was completed in 2016 as a part of the Garden for the World capital campaign. The new Herring House hosts private events and small gatherings for members, donors and visiting guests.

The gardens around the gatehouse were renamed Lauren's Secret Garden with plantings inspired by the work of prominent British horticulturist and garden designer Gertrude Jekyll.

Gertrude Jekyll (1843–1932) was an influential British horticulturist, artist, writer, and garden designer. She created more than 400 gardens across the U.K., U.S. and Europe. She collaborated frequently with English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens and was influenced by the artistic principles of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Jekyll’s gardens featured a sympathetic relationship between buildings and their surrounding landscape. She studied and selected plants to achieve a natural and practical effect. But her gardens also incorporated unexpected views and surprises. Her designs took color, texture, and the personal experience into account and often included influences from impressionism.