Reitz Home Museum (Evansville, Indiana)

 NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, Second Empire (architecture), 1871_construction, historic house museum

reitzhome.evansville.net/

Evansville, Indiana's only Victorian House Museum is situated in the heart of the city's downtown Historic Preservation District. It is noted as one of the country's finest examples of French Second Empire architecture.

John Augustus Reitz had already made his fortune in lumber by the mid-1850s, but it was not until 1871 that he built this home to reflect his station in life. The eldest son, Francis Joseph, took over the house after his parent's death in the 1890's and completely redecorated the home's interior in a variety of Victorian styles.

Authentic period furniture, much of it original, is arranged as if the family is about to return. Silk damask-covered walls soar to hand painted ceilings and delicately molded plaster friezes. French gilt chandeliers shine down on one of the homes's most beautiful features, the intricately patterned hand-laid wood parquet floors. The visual feast continues throughout the house with tiled and marbled fireplaces, walnut wainscoting in Moorish design and glowing stained glass windows.

The Reitz Home Preservation Society, a non-profit organization, was formed to restore and preserve the home. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The home has been displayed in several issues of Victorian Homes magazine and is in the April/May issue of Victorian Decorating and Lifestyle magazine.