The Reitz Home Museum is a

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literatur ...

house museum located in the Riverside Historic District in downtown

Evansville, Indiana Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is Indiana's List of cities in Indiana, third-most populous city after India ...

. 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. Considered by many to be one of the finest examples of the French Second Empire style

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

, the home has been featured in several issues of ''Victorian Homes'' magazine as well as ''Victorian Decorating and Lifestyle'' magazine. In 2003 the home received a commendation from the Victorian Society in America for the preservation and restoration of the Victorian mansion. The museum is open everyday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. except Sunday and Monday.

History

John Augustus Reitz, who amassed a fortune in the lumber business, built the house in 1871 in the French Second Empire style. Built to express his success, the mansion was decorated with elegant furnishings and detailed architectural features. Upon Reitz's death in the 1890s, his eldest son

Francis Joseph Reitz Francis Joseph Reitz (1841–1930) was an American banker, civic leader, and philanthropist in Evansville, Indiana. Career For more than 50 years, he was a leading figure in the Evansville's business life, retiring in 1924 as president of Nat ...

took over the house and completely redecorated the interior in a variety of Victorian styles. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photograph The last of Reitz' children died in 1931, and the home was left to the Daughters of Isabella, a non-profit

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

women's organization. In 1944 the home was purchased by the Diocese of Evansville to become the home of its bishop. It was occupied by the first incumbent, Henry J. Grimmelsman. 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 The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1973 and was opened for public tours a year later. Natalie Singer is currently the museum director.

References

External links

Reitz Home Museum official website
{{National Register of Historic Places in Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Evansville, Indiana Historic house museums in Indiana Museums in Evansville, Indiana Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana Houses completed in 1871 Second Empire architecture in Indiana Houses in Evansville, Indiana Episcopal palaces