Glessner House

Glessner House is a National Historic Landmark at 1800 S Prairie Ave in Chicago, designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and completed in 1887. A guided visit takes you through a remarkably preserved Gilded Age home, where original furnishings, woodwork and decorations bring the Glessner family’s daily life into view. The granite exterior and distinctive design set it apart from the Victorian architecture common when it was built. Go for the architecture as much as the domestic history, and ask your guide about the rooms and objects you see.

Richardson’s design

Henry Hobson Richardson designed Glessner House for John Glessner. Completed in 1887, the home broke from the Victorian styles common at the time. Its rough granite exterior and fortress-like form give the building a different character from the houses around it.

The design joined medieval references with a modern approach to domestic architecture. Richardson’s work influenced architects including Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe and Frank Lloyd Wright. The house is also associated with the development of an American architectural style and with ideas that later appeared in Prairie School design.

Inside the Glessner home

The interior preserves much of the home’s original furniture, decorations and artwork. Woodwork, wall coverings, carpets and other details give the rooms a sense of the domestic setting the Glessners knew. The preserved contents are especially notable for a historic house, where original furnishings are often less common.

A guided tour connects these objects and rooms with the Glessner family’s history and life during the Gilded Age. Take time to notice the craftsmanship and ask the guide about individual pieces. Some rooms have required restoration, but the house’s preserved interiors remain central to the visit.