The Glenn House, Cape Girardeau Travel Guide

Step back in time at The Glenn House, a meticulously preserved Victorian home located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. Built in 1883 by Edwin Dean as a wedding gift for his daughter Lula and her husband David Glenn, this house museum offers an intimate look into the lives of a prominent family during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.The house itself is a stunning example of Late Victorian architecture, featuring cross-gabled and pyramidal roofs, a verandah with Tuscan columns, a turret, and an oriel window. Originally built in a vernacular farmhouse style, it was renovated around 1900 to reflect the Queen Anne style with Free Classic influences. Inside, you'll find faithfully restored rooms adorned with original architectural features, period furniture, and artifacts that tell the story of the Glenn family and the development of the region.David Glenn, initially a man of modest means, rose to prominence in Cape Girardeau as a merchant and banker. However, the family faced hardship when Glenn's bank failed in the early 1900s, eventually leading to the sale of their beloved home in 1915. The house was later acquired by the Erlbacher family, who deeded it to the Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau in 1974 to ensure its preservation.Today, The Glenn House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as a living house museum, offering guided tours and special events. Visitors can explore the house's many rooms, each carefully curated to reflect the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Some even say the house is haunted !