The Glessner House on Prairie Avenue in Chicago may seem, in our eyes, old or old-fashioned, but compared to neighboring mansions of the same period, it was–and still is–a standout. Radically different. Avant-garde. A very decided departure from the conventional. This is how the building, which is now a museum, has been described. Throughout the years, visitors have remarked upon the contrast between the unadorned, expansive, fortresslike exterior and the elegant yet cozy, co