Penlee House was originally built in 1865 in the family home Branwell. The house was purchased by the district council of Penzance in 1946, along with Penlee Park as a memorial in honor of those who died in the Second World War, and was officially opened as a museum in 1949 Penzance district. In 1974, ownership of the museum moved to Penwith District Council, and since 1985 Penzance Town Council owns and manages location. Collections housed in the museum were originally taken from what remains of the collection of Natural History and Antiquarian Society Penzance, founded in 1839, which was originally housed in the dome Market House in Penzance. During the 1990s the city council has carried out a major refurbishment of the building, providing adequate opportunities for harboring extensive collection of art. On the first floor there are rooms devoted to archeology and social history of the Penwith peninsula. Cross over granite located outside the museum dating from the eleventh century, but the original location is Green Market Penzance. While this cross is in the market, was declared as zero point for measuring distances, all localities within a half- mile from the Cross classified as belonging to the district, the local government has to pay tax in Penzance. Cross Green Square was moved in 1829 from a house in North Street, and during its demolition, circa 1868, the cross was again moved to the west end of the Market House. Cross has a height of 66 meters.