John Augustus Reitz, who amassed a fortune in the lumber business, built the house in 1871 in the
French Second Empire style. Built to express his success, the mansion was decorated with elegant furnishings and detailed architectural features. Upon Reitz's death in the 1890s, his eldest son
Francis Joseph Reitz took over the house and completely redecorated the interior in a variety of
Victorian styles. In 1974 the Diocese of Evansville donated the mansion to the Reitz Home Preservation Society, a non-profit organization formed to restore and preserve the home. It was officially placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was opened for public tours a year later. Joseph Lutz is currently the museum's executive director, as of July 2025. ==References==