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Richard H. Driehaus Museum
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
File:Samuel M. Nickerson Mansion, 40 East Erie Street, Chicago (Cook County, Illinois).jpg Richard H. Driehaus Museum
Location	Chicago, IL
Built	1883
Architect	Burling & Whitehouse; Burling,Edward
Architectural style	Late Victorian
NRHP reference No.	76000700

The Richard H. Driehaus Museum is located in the restored Samuel Nickerson House in the River North neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The Mansion is a Chicago Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Driehaus Museum is an iconic example of historic preservation set in one of Chicago’s finest historic homes.

History

Built between 1879 and 1883, by entrepreneur Samuel Mayo Nickerson, the house was one of the grandest residential buildings erected in 19th century Chicago. Dubbed the “Marble Palace,” the mansion was built for an estimated $450,000 – nearly $80 to $100 million today.

In 2003, Chicago businessman and philanthropist Richard Driehaus purchased the Nickerson Mansion. Between 2003 and 2008, Driehaus and his team oversaw an extensive restoration. The house opened to the public as the Richard H. Driehaus museum in June 2008.

The Museum

The Museum showcases 19th century statues, wall art, lamps, chandeliers and furniture from the Driehaus Collection of Decorative and Fine Arts. The interiors feature richly hued stained glass windows, mosaics of iridescent glass tile, and elaborately carved and inlaid wood paneling. Highlights of the house include: the grand entrance hall, clad in over seventeen types of marble; the dining room, which is one of the finest carved rooms from the period; and Mr. Nickerson’s former art gallery, where a striking stained glass dome rises dramatically 25 feet above the mansion’s first floor. Also on display are many of Driehaus’personal pieces including a large collection of works by American designer Louis Comfort Tiffany.

References

Category:1883 architecture Category:Houses in Chicago Category:Landmarks in Chicago Category:National Register of Historic Places in Chicago

Herrmann, Andrew (May 16, 2008) "Businessman restores Gilded Age mansion into museum". Chicago Sun-Times.

Kristov, Carson Lindsey (May 28, 2008). "From mansion to museum". Chicago Journal.

Mitchurm, Robert (May 15, 2008). "Mansion now a museum". Chicago Tribune.