The Close “mansion” is Iowa City's largest remaining Italianate house. C. D. Close, who owned a linseed-oil mill to the west of the house, engaged the builder August Hazelhorst to construct this three-and-a-half-story brick dwelling. The style selected was the late Italianate, realized in this design with all of the richness one associates with this image during the post-Civil War years. A wide cornice/entablature with brackets and large scale band of dentils caps the house. Below, the windows have heavy projecting curved lintels of stone. On the first floor is a small makebelieve canopied balcony with a miniature balustrade. On the other side of the entrance porch is a wide bay with its own bracketed cornice. Large round windows originally occupied each of the third-floor gable ends. Within, the central stair hall is open all the way to the cupola. The house has recently been extensively and carefully restored, and is now used for offices.