Madison mogul William Dexter Curtis built this house in 1901 as a physical testimony to his financial prowess and educated tastes. Curtis made his fortune in Madison's agricultural implement trade, centered on nearby Williamson Street. The Dexter Curtis Company, founded by his father, sold horse collars and other saddlery equipment. His financial skills earned him board positions in Madison banks, and allowed him to hire one of Madison's prestige architectural firms, Gordon and Paunack, to design a turn of the century showplace.

During the Victorian age, the single family home was the most potent success symbol, and entrepreneurs like Curtis boldly proclaimed their economic might through lavish architectural displays. The prominent corner location in Madison's prestigious Orton Park neighborhood showcased Curtis success and social standing. The home featured trademark Queen Anne details such as a corner tower and wrap-around porches; however, its sparse classically derived ornament foreshadowed changing American tastes and a movement towards more academically correct period designs. Details such as the decorative arched Palladian windows and the carved acanthus leaf just below the roofline signaled that the owner was steeped in the wisdom of Western culture stretching back to the empires of Greece and Rome.

The house is a private residence and not open to the public. Please respect the rights of its owners.