Shen's House was built by Shen Benren, one of the descendants of the legendary Qing dynasty businessman Shen Wansan, in the seventh year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1742). According to Zhouzhuang's historical documents, Shen Benren was originally something of a good-for-nothing from a wealthy family, until the time that his father died.

At that time, it was widely believed that he would lose the family fortune within three years. Hearing the rumor, he parted company with his playful associates, giving them money and saying: "From now on I have to support my family; I can no longer play with you."

From then on, he spurned all of his former friends and concentrated on developing his agricultural interests. He enlarged Shen's House, built hundreds of houses, and accumulated thousands of acres of fertile farmland, making his family rich and powerful.