Maduwanwela Walawwa was been built by King Wimaladharmasuiry II in year of 1700. From the year of 1700 till 1905 Maduwanwela family modified the building. During 1877 to 1905 the Walawwa had 121 rooms and 21 inner courtyards. The land is approximately 80,000 acres.
Later due to the modification done by the family the Walawwa consist of 43 rooms in the grounds is a courthouse with seating space of 100 people. Furniture and equipment used for punishments are still present. Currently the Walawwa is been maintained by the department of Archaeological and converted it to a museum.
Often referred to as the Dark Prince of Ceylon, the Maduwanwela Disawe was a personality that defined an era. His influence with the colonial administrators of his time were such that they even bestowed on him the title of Sir James William. His ancestral home, the Maduwanwela Walawwa, is a reflection of the Disawe’s personality and an architectural icon of a bygone era.