Unmasking Second Empire’s Spooky Reputation

Speaker: Suzanne Stanis

The Second Empire style of architecture, easily identified by its sloping mansard roofs, dominated Parisian architecture from the 1850s-1870s. In the United States, the style went from fashionable and fancy to spooky.  Join Suzanne Stanis of Indiana Landmarks to learn how Second Empire architecture became typecast as “haunted” by Hollywood and see a few examples from across the state.

Suzanne Stanis serves as the Vice President of Heritage Education at Indiana Landmarks. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Hanover College and a Master of Library Science from Indiana University. Suzanne oversees Indiana Landmarks’ Indianapolis tours, the heritage tourism divisions of West Baden Springs/French Lick Springs hotels, and Samara, a notable Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in West Lafayette.

Outside of her role at Indiana Landmarks, Suzanne serves on the boards of the Athenaeum Foundation and the National Preservation Partners Network.