David Whitney Jr. Residence

This mansion was once described as “an American palace enjoying the distinction of being the most pretentious modern home in the state and one of the most elaborate houses in the west.” David Whitney Jr. (1830-1900), its owner, was one of the wealthiest lumber barons in the Midwest. Begun in 1890, the house took four years to construct. Its exterior is made of pink jasper, mined in South Dakota. The luxurious interior is reminiscent of residences of Napoleonic Paris. Its features include silk-covered walls and ceilings, tapestries, extensive woodwork, leaded crystal, and Tiffany windows.