Reitz Home Museum
John Augustus Reitz House | |
Second Empire | |
NRHP reference No. | 73000047[1] |
---|---|
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1973 |
The Reitz Home Museum is a Victorian house museum located in the Riverside Historic District in downtown Evansville, Indiana. The museum offers year-round guided tours.
An authentic restoration offers visitors a step back in time with silk damask-covered walls, hand painted ceilings, delicately molded plaster friezes, and intricately patterned hand-laid wood parquet floors. Other features of the home include tiled and marbled fireplaces, stained glass windows, and French gilt chandeliers. Much of the home is decorated with original period furniture.[2]
Considered by many to be one of the finest examples of the French
In 2003 the home received a commendation from the Victorian Society in America for the preservation and restoration of the Victorian mansion.[3]
The museum is open everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. except Sunday and Monday.[4]
History
The last of Reitz' children died in 1931, and the home was left to the Daughters of Isabella, a non-profit
In 1974 the Diocese of Evansville donated the mansion to the Reitz Home Preservation Society, a non-profit organization formed to restore and preserve the home. It was officially placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was opened for public tours a year later. Matt Rowe is currently the museum director.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Reitz Home Museum". Evansville Online. Archived from the original on 2007-06-25. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "Preservation Awards Recipients 2003". The Victorian Society of America. Retrieved 2008-11-29.
- ^ "Reitz Home Museum". penzu.com. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
- ^ "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved 2016-08-01. Note: This includes Mrs. Richard Snodgrass (August 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: John Augustus Reitz House" (PDF). Retrieved 2016-08-01. and Accompanying photograph