Chatillon-DeMenil House

The Chatillon-DeMenil House is a mansion in Benton Park featuring a distinctive white facade, symmetrical windows, and tall columns that reflect classical architectural principles from the 1800s. Inside, period furnishings, original ceiling ornaments, and marble fireplaces create rooms that show how wealthy families lived and entertained during that era.

The house started in 1848 as a modest four-room brick dwelling built by Henri Chatillon and was transformed by Nicolas DeMenil into a grand mansion starting in 1861. This expansion mirrors the growing wealth and influence of leading families in the region during the middle of the 1800s.

The mansion contains period furniture from 1830 to 1880, original ceiling medallions, marble mantelpieces, and the largest collection of 1904 World's Fair memorabilia.

The house is best visited on weekdays when guided tours are available and rooms are more accessible for viewing. Comfortable shoes are recommended since the tour involves walking through multiple floors and narrow passages.

Beneath the house lies an extensive cave system once called Cherokee Cave that contained remains of prehistoric animals studied by paleontologists. These underground chambers reveal how the land was shaped by natural forces long before European settlers arrived.