During the period of so-called mature historicism, dating from 1860 to 1895, architectural forms reminiscent of the Middle Ages were readily used. One of the most interesting tendencies was the Gothic inspiration, of which the palace in Maiště is an example.

History of the palace and its owner
The Mejkszty estate belonged successively to the Naruszewicz family and (from 1661) to the Wawrzecki family. From the latter family came the famous general of the Polish army and leader of the Kościuszko Uprising, Tomasz Wawrzecki - the memory of the figure remained vivid in the narrative concerning the discussed landed property. The key moment in the architectural history of the estate was when it was taken over by the Mejsztowicz family, who slightly modified the name of the centre, henceforth functioning as Mejszty (vel Meyszty). During this period, the residential complex was transformed and the previous owners' residence was rebuilt. By the mid 1870s, on the initiative of Szymon Meysztowicz senior (1830-1888), work was underway on the palace, which received a fashionable neo-Gothic architectural design.

The residence was part of a large-scale complex comprising a park and outbuildings, which included a granary, manager's house, stables, distillery and icehouse. The fate of the complex was not easy - the most severe damage occurred during the Second World War. Fortunately, the palace was rebuilt in a neo-Gothic style (despite the simplification of the original form and abandonment of, among other things, the high quadrangular tower).

Architectural form of the seat
Szymon Meysztowicz's palace was a model example of a Historicist residence. Reaching for neo-Gothic forms may have resulted from several factors, including the popularity of the above style, resulting from aesthetic preferences and the symbolic sphere - associations with horror novels, in which medieval buildings were the setting for the action, were readily apparent. The irregular body of the Mejste residence was varied in height, ornamentation and picturesque in appearance.

The palace was mostly single-storey - one side wing (flanking the body) and the central risalit were raised by an additional storey. Above the building, stretched horizontally, was a high tower, balancing the system of verticals and levels. Neo-medieval architectural motifs in the form of crenellation, façade face decoration, octagonal turrets and pointed arches contributed to the dynamism of the mass. It is worth noting the variety of forms introduced: the finials of the side wings and the central risalit were shaped differently, using a simple closure with blanks or triangular gables with varied decoration. In addition to pointed arches, the residence also had window openings closed with a straight or full arch. On the facades, attention to detail was evident (such as the grooves of the octagonal turrets, which in the upper parts become multi-planar - with a pointed arch and a fish-bladder as layers successively superimposed on each other, associated with the carving of medieval masquerades).

The accounts of those admiring the final result are interesting. The recollection of a family member, for example, deserves mention: the Rev Walerian Mejsztowicz, born in 1893, wrote: "according to the Italian Gothic fashion developing at the time, Mr Szymon built his Miramare with a square tower, unnecessary for anyone, with Gothic windows, pinnacles, with coats of arms over the gate". The architecture of the building was therefore associated with the residence built near Trieste for the Austrian Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian Habsburg. Castello di Miaramare was built in the second half of the 1850s, situating it on a cliff and surrounding it with a garden. The massing was also irregular, fragmented and accentuated by a high tower. The Italianate residence was shaped in the spirit of English Neo-Gothic, which was the main source of inspiration for the Mejstice residence. The above mention also emphasises the purely decorative nature of the tower, which had no functional justification.

The character of the Mejsztowicz palace was well reflected by Napoleon Orda. A lithograph published in 1876 - just after the completion of the project - shows the garden elevation. The artist emphasised the building's integration into its surroundings: stairs lead from the risalit to the park overgrown with various species of trees and bushes, and a pond is visible in the foreground of the print.