Exterior of Glessner House as it appeared in The Inland Architect and News Record, Volume XI, Number 1, February 1888. The Glessners had moved into their new home just two months earlier. The photograph was accompanied by a small sketch of the first floor plan, showing the innovative arrangement with the main rooms facing away from the street and into the south-oriented courtyard.
For architects such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright, who were influenced by the radical design of the house, this was the first time they had seen an image and plan of the completed structure. It is likely that one or both of them visited the house during construction, as there are references in the Glessner journal to (unnamed) architects showing up at the property and requesting permission to tour the interior.