Gibson House Museum, Boston

Built in 1859, the Gibson House was the residence of Charles Hammond Gibson. The family preserved the original decor and converted the house into a museum after his death. The structure is constructed with brownstone and red brick. The interiors are laced with black-walnut woodwork, elegant wallpapers, imported carpets, furniture, paintings, sculpture, photographs, silver, porcelain, curios, and 18th-century family heirlooms. Several filmmakers have used the house as a setting for period films, notably Merchant-Ivory's The Bostonians. The Gibson House Museum was officially opened to the public in 1957, and is a National Historic Landmark.