Nickerson House
Encyclopedia
The Samuel Nickerson House, located at 40 East Erie Street in the Near North Side neighborhood
of Chicago, Illinois, is a Chicago Landmark
. The house, built in 1883, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
After the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, the Near North Side became a fashionable neighborhood for business owners. The house was built for Samuel Nickerson, the founder of the First National Bank of Chicago as well as having interests in liquor and wine businesses and an explosives company. Designed by the architectural firm of Burling and Whitehouse, the house is decorated with a large amount of marble (giving it the nickname of "Marble Palace"), carved and inlaid wood, tile, mosaics, and hand-tooled leather.
In 1900, Nickerson sold the house to Lucius George Fisher who owned the house until his death in 1916. After purchasing the house, he hired George Washington Maher to redesign Nickerson's art gallery making it a trophy room and rare book library. Among other features, Maher had a stained glass dome built to replace the room's skylight. As part of the remodeling, new book cases and a monumental mantlepiece, attributed to Robert E. Seyfarth
who was an architect in Maher's office at the time, were installed in the gallery. The glass tile fire surround of the mantle was created by the Chicago firm of Giannini & Hilgart. After Fisher's death the house was sold to a group of prominent Chicagoans who then donated it to the American College of Surgeons.
The house was acquired by Chicago businessman Richard Driehaus
in 2003 who has since restored and opened the property to the public as the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. The museum opened to the public in 2008, displaying Driehaus' personal collection of 19th century decorative arts objects, including a large private collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany
statues, wall art, and lamps.
Near North Side, Chicago
The Near North Side is one of 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is located north and east of the Chicago River, just north of the central business district . To its east is Lake Michigan and its northern boundary is the 19th-century city limit of Chicago,...
of Chicago, Illinois, is a Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark
Chicago Landmark is a designation of the Mayor of Chicago and the Chicago City Council for historic buildings and other sites in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Listed sites are selected after meeting a combination of criteria, including historical, economic, architectural, artistic, cultural,...
. The house, built in 1883, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
After the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, the Near North Side became a fashionable neighborhood for business owners. The house was built for Samuel Nickerson, the founder of the First National Bank of Chicago as well as having interests in liquor and wine businesses and an explosives company. Designed by the architectural firm of Burling and Whitehouse, the house is decorated with a large amount of marble (giving it the nickname of "Marble Palace"), carved and inlaid wood, tile, mosaics, and hand-tooled leather.
In 1900, Nickerson sold the house to Lucius George Fisher who owned the house until his death in 1916. After purchasing the house, he hired George Washington Maher to redesign Nickerson's art gallery making it a trophy room and rare book library. Among other features, Maher had a stained glass dome built to replace the room's skylight. As part of the remodeling, new book cases and a monumental mantlepiece, attributed to Robert E. Seyfarth
Robert Seyfarth
- Background : Robert Seyfarth grew up as a member of a prominent local family. His grandfather William Seyfarth had come to the United States in 1848 from Schloss Tonndorf in what is now the state of Thuringia, Germany, with the intention of opening a tavern in Chicago...
who was an architect in Maher's office at the time, were installed in the gallery. The glass tile fire surround of the mantle was created by the Chicago firm of Giannini & Hilgart. After Fisher's death the house was sold to a group of prominent Chicagoans who then donated it to the American College of Surgeons.
The house was acquired by Chicago businessman Richard Driehaus
Richard Driehaus
Richard H. Driehaus is a fund manager, businessman and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of Driehaus Capital Management, based in Chicago, a firm which manages US$10 billion...
in 2003 who has since restored and opened the property to the public as the Richard H. Driehaus Museum. The museum opened to the public in 2008, displaying Driehaus' personal collection of 19th century decorative arts objects, including a large private collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Louis Comfort Tiffany was an American artist and designer who worked in the decorative arts and is best known for his work in stained glass. He is the American artist most associated with the Art Nouveau and Aesthetic movements...
statues, wall art, and lamps.