Year(s) Listed: • 1997 |
City/Town: • Topeka |
Location Class: • Residential |
Built: 1911 | Abandoned: N/A |
Status: • Saved |
Contributor: Kansas Preservation Alliance |
Photo from: Dillion House
Built in the Italian Renaissance style the Dillon House is a rare survivor of an elite pre-World War I residential neighborhood. Its overall form and many of the character-defining features are still clearly evident today. A passionate man famous for his hospitality, Hiram Price Dillon’s robust spirit is evident throughout the house — the lions at the entry stairs and the main staircase, the strong male figures that support mantels and the dramatic backdrop of stained glass windows at the main stair. His rare heart and love of playing host is evidenced by the motto, “None come too early, none stay too late” emblazoned on the fireplace of the Reception Hall. The Dillon House is unique in that it was built in a grand style that was intended for entertaining. More than 100 years after it was built, the Dillon House is remarkable for the quality of the original ornament that remains. From its stone, brick and clay tile exterior to the beautiful stained glass, wood work, fireplaces and grand staircase inside, much of the character that dazzled its visitors in the early 1900s remains intact.