A few are even open to the public. Potter Palmer's mansion was not among the lucky ones. 40 E. Erie St. Now occupied by the R.H. Love Galleries , the three-story Nickerson House resembles an Italian Renaissance palazzo with a dark coat of soot. But inside it sparkles. The main hall has a marble ceiling, marble floor and marble walls, plus a grand marble staircase.
Lavish detail includes sumptuous marble and inlaid woods.
Nickerson put American art on the walls when it was not fashionable, and we continue that tradition with American art from Colonial times to the present. The servants' quarters were at the rear of the house, now occupied by offices. The house became an art gallery in 1991 after being used for a number of years by the American College of Surgeons. Among the notables were Marshall Field, Philip Armour and George Pullman. One of the relics of that era is Glessner House .