Peter J. Bontadelli House (The Empire House)

Built by Peter J. Bontadelli (1850-1935) in 1907, this house is an example of Second Empire architecture. It was placed on the National Register оf Historic Places іn 1979. Bontadelli was an Swiss immigrant who became a leader of the Swiss-American community in the area. Bontadelli had experience in Paris as a painting contractor. He was the first president of the Swiss-American Rifle Club which opened in 1900. The architectural quality of Bontadelli's home, with its direct reference to his European training, helped to discover important architectural developments about Salina.