Show homes: A chance to peek beyond the door
( Michael Henley / Pittock Mansion )
The grand floating, curving, three-story baroque staircase is one of the highlights of the Pittock Mansion in Portland, Ore.
Furniture and artwork and china and silver. Just as your home speaks volumes about you, the show houses of America -- open to the public for tours -- share the secrets, sometimes unwittingly, of their owners, designers and hometowns. They may reveal personal quirks or preferences, design or otherwise, that tell a story that goes well beyond bricks and mortar. Visitors to these show homes are legal voyeurs, peeking in on a past that may be fraught with drama or intrigue or genius. Here are seven to peruse, chosen by travel writers across the country. They’ve opened the doors, turned on the lights and listened to the whispers. Join them for a spell.
- 1
This fort, begun in 1819, kept an eye on the Louisiana Purchase. It’s built of creamy limestone and has a view of the Mississippi and Minnesota rivers.
- 2
A visit to Frank Lloyd Wright changed William S. Hebbard and Irving Gill’s design for this 1905 treasure. Still cutting edge in its way.
- 3
The 1939 Usonian-style house drew gawkers at the time. Today, crowds enjoy the light-filled rooms and cozy nooks.
- 4
The plantation, which dates to 1726, is the ancestral home of two presidents and site of the first Thanksgiving. Taps was first played here during the Civil War.
- 5
The Hermann-Grima House, in the French Quarter, is an interpretation of a wealthy New Orleanian’s home between 1830 and 1860, canopied beds and all.
- 6
There’s a rags-to-riches tale behind this palatial 1914 residence. Land, lumber and a newspaper paid for it.
- 7
Owner James Deering, with help from designer Paul Chalfin, handpicked every item in the marble mansion.
