Arthur H. Compton House

The Arthur H. Compton House is a two-and-a-half-story brick residence featuring a gabled roof located on South Woodlawn Avenue in Chicago. The interior maintains its original central hallway layout with an enclosed single-story porch creating a sheltered entry.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Arthur Holly Compton resided here from 1928 to 1945 while conducting groundbreaking research at the University of Chicago. His work during these years advanced the understanding of light and matter in fundamental ways.

The house served as a gathering place where physicists working on nuclear research met to discuss their findings and exchange ideas. Visitors can still sense the intellectual energy that once filled these rooms during this transformative period of science.

The residence sits in Hyde Park, an academic neighborhood with nearby museums and accessible street layouts. Visitors should plan ahead since this is a protected landmark and access may be limited to guided tours or scheduled times.

Compton's discovery of the scattering effect where light behaves as particles rather than just waves was investigated while he worked in this location and earned him the Nobel Prize. This phenomenon revolutionized quantum physics by proving light has a dual nature.