Designed and built in a small, conservative, Midwestern town amidst the Great Depression, this place challenges your idea of the built environment. Alden B. Dow was a creative visionary and conversed with Frank Lloyd Wright on a number of occasions. The result of his creative process was this house, that astounds visitors even today.
Considered the masterpiece of the prolific 20th-century architect, this unique pad seamlessly folds into the surrounding scenery of ponds and gardens, as if it arose organically from the ground. It has been recognized as one of America’s best historic homes and is open to the public.
Maryland - Edgar Allan Poe House
This modest brick row house was home to the literary figure during the 1830s and is where he wrote a great deal of work. It has more or less served as a museum since 1949. Guided tours and exhibitions are on offer, including a festival celebrating Poe's work, and even a ball to conclude the festival!
In a weird twist of art imitating life, workers uncovered skeletal remains in the floorboards during renovations, calling to mind the events in "The Tell-Tale Heart." It turns out, though, they were just discarded animal bones. And if we do say so ourselves, that is definitely a relief.
Massachusetts - Paul Revere House
The original three-story house was built around 1680, making it the oldest house in downtown Boston and this is where Paul Revere and his family were living when he embarked on that fateful nighttime ride in 1775. For those unfamiliar, Revere has become an American folk hero for alerting Boston residents that "The British are coming!"
Despite the substantial renovation process which returned the house to its conjectured appearance around 1700, most of the structure is still original to 1680. Visitors today can learn about Revere's life and business, as well as general colonial information pertaining to the Revolutionary War.
Minnesota - James J. Hill House
Built by the railroad magnate James J. Hill in 1891, the behemoth 36,000-square-foot house was considered the "showcase of St. Paul," and boasts its own art gallery, pipe organ, and gymnasium. It boasts 16 chandeliers which, we grant, is a strange metric of wealth, but it gets the point across.
The home served as the center for the Hill family's public and private lives for the next 30 years. When it was finished in 1891, the mansion was the largest and most expensive residence in Minnesota. Visitors can have guided tours of the grounds (which last an hour, speaking to the size of the estate) and even rent out various rooms for conferences, lectures, and events.
Missouri - Jesse James Home
Today, you can tour the house Jesse James lived in with his wife and where his luck finally ran out. The unassuming house is located in St. Joseph, Missouri, north of Kansas City. While formerly located about two blocks away at 1318 Lafayette Street, the James Home was moved to the Patee House Museum grounds in 1977.
Inside, you can discover portraits of Jesse James in life and in death, relics of his criminal career, and even the bullet hole can be seen clearly in the wall, which you can inspect at the museum that has been set up inside.