Gideon C. Hixon House, house in La Crosse, Wisconsin

The Gideon C. Hixon House is a two-story clapboard residence built in 1859 in the Italianate style, with a shallow-pitch roof, a substantial overhang and carved wooden brackets. Its modest exterior contrasts with a richly appointed interior furnished with artifacts Gideon Hixon acquired on national and overseas travels. Additions were made in 1870 and again in the early 1880s.

Gideon Hixon, a partner in a lumber business who later helped found and preside over the La Crosse National Bank and served in the state legislature, had the house built in 1859. Additions followed in 1870 and again in the early 1880s. The La Crosse County Historical Society now owns it, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The interior holds artifacts Gideon Hixon collected on national and overseas journeys, and the rooms are arranged as they were at the end of the 19th century. The La Crosse County Historical Society owns the house and keeps it restored to that period.

The house opens from late spring through early fall with regular tours available daily in the afternoon without advance reservation. Group visits and school tours can be arranged year-round but require scheduling ahead of time.

A notable feature inside is Mrs. Hixon's Turkish Nook, a small corner decorated with exotic style elements from the Victorian era. This rare room design reveals how wealthy families of that time enjoyed incorporating foreign and ornamental touches into their homes.