Tippecanoe Place

While visiting family in South Bend, we found time to discover three treasures of North-central Indiana. Our first stop was to the historic Tippecanoe Place, but to the long time residents of this area it will always be known as the Studebaker Mansion.

As we are not local residents we have heard of the Studebaker Mansion, however had little to no actual knowledge of it. In attempting to do pre-travel information gathering we were constantly frustrated in our inability to locate the ‘Studebaker Mansion.’ There is little online that correlates the ‘Studebaker Mansion’ and ‘Tippecanoe Place.’ It was only once we called the Studebaker Museum (another stop during our visit in South Bend) that it became clear that the two names were synonymous.

The Studebaker family lost the residence in 1933 due to bankruptcy and for years the building stood unoccupied. In the early 1980’s the mansion began it’s long transition from a once grand forgotten home, into the space that now houses the restaurant known as Tippecanoe Place. Tippecanoe place serves lunch and dinner year-round and is also a favorite venue for special events.

As we travel the state we tend to favor visiting historic homes as points of interest and as such our expectations of the Studebaker Mansion were that of a historic home; In reality there are two perspectives that must be considered when reviewing Tippecanoe Place. The first is the quality and ambiance offered as a unique dinning experience. The second perspective is more obvious, that of a historic home visitation.

In order to tour the home, you must also be dining with Tippecanoe Place. We made lunch reservations in order to keep the cost down, while still being permitted to tour the premises. As we travel we look for ways - like choosing lunch over dinner - as a way to lower our travel costs.

Our favorite two parts of the meal were the beginning and the end. We ordered Tippecanoe Place’s take on Baked Brie. The chef chose to bake it in puff pastry, drizzle it with raspberry sauce, and then plated the brie with sliced green apples and red grapes. Dessert was delicious.  We decided to split a large slice of Carrot Cake and it certainly did not disappoint.

In a true juxtaposition to the amazing brie and cake, the entree was far less appetizing. The steak we were served was nearly raw. When brought to the attention of the waitress we were simply informed that that was how Tippecanoe Place prepared their steak. No attempt at resolution was made, in fact the waitress brought someone else’s steak to our table to ‘prove’ to us that ours was properly prepared before serving it to the intended party - who promptly questioned whether it was cooked enough.

Once the residence of the historic influential Studebaker family, we felt that this would be one of the grander stops we would encounter during our Indiana travels.

The exterior, and most of the home’s structure, is intact. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a “Richardsonian Romanesque” home. Indeed you can visually identify the stone massings, recessed entrance, and arches that are commonly associated with this style.

The home has only retained some of the original flourishes that indicate it once existed during a grander time. The exterior of the home is generally as it was built to be, however the interior of the home has been basically gutted for use as a restaurant. Some of the original wordwork, fireplaces, and framing still exist, yet as a historic home visit, this was rather disappointing. An entire room has been walled off and basically destroyed to create a fire-escape allowing the restaurant to serve meals on the fourth floor. According to the staff, the room once contained the most beautiful fireplace of the entire home. How this building is still listed on the National Register of Historic places befuddles us.

While we are confident that the overall experience will excite and thrill some visitors, we were disheartened and frustrated. The dinning experience was good, yet we were heartbroken by the state of the mansion. As a restaurant the wood flourishing and detailed craftsmanship are truly unique. We even tried to understand that a historic society, or a group attempting to maintain a historic building, may need to use the restaurant service as a means for income; however, interior walls have been removed in order to construct a modern bar on the second floor - to us this was the most appalling aspect.

Tippecanoe Place is located within South Bend’s historic district and is only a few blocks away from the new Studebaker Museum. The home has plenty of parking located on property. Simply enter the driveway to start your visit. There is no cost to tour the home, however we recommend that you let your server know at the start of the meal that you intend to tour the mansion, so that they have ample time to provide the self-guided tour pamphlet.

Lane Place Antebellum Mansion

Henry S. Lane was a politician, lawyer, banker, and early Indiana statesman. Lane moved to Crawfordsville, Indiana from Kentucky to live in a “free” state. He opened a law practice and entered politics. Lane is known for serving the shortest term for the post of Governor of Indiana - just 2 days before he resigned to be a U.S. Senator. Lane was also known for playing a leading roll in support of Abraham Lincoln’s candidacy for President of the United States.

Lane’s home, known as Lane Place, is a varietal collection of personal items and period pieces. It is maintained by the local historical society and as one of the older homes that we have visited thus far, it is in wonderful condition. Initially built in the mid-1840s the home mixes both Federalist and Grecian architectural stylings for the exterior.

Some of the most surprising elements of visiting historic homes tend to be the artifacts they contain. Often times the toys that children played with are some of the most surprising elements. To be able to have been played with, loved, and still be in the great condition that they are speaks volume to the children’s character of the time.

For Lane Place, as with the Harrison home, some of the most significant artifacts are those that relate to Lincoln; more specifically those that relate to Lincoln’s funeral and funeral train. The home contained Lane’s top hat from the funeral, as well as funeral ribbons and photographs.

Our guide and her young granddaughter showed us through the house. It was one of our most engaging home tours to date. Parking was a bit curious for us. We parked across the street to the north of the house. There appeared to be some street parking available as well. The tours begin at the front door of the home by ringing the doorbell. The tour costs $3.00 per person but we also recommend picking up the booklet that expands on the history of the home and artifacts it contains, for five extra dollars.

Benjamin Harrison Home

The Benjamin Harrison home is a definite must for the Indiana historian. The home is in excellent condition currently, although I am quite remiss in saying that while approximately seventy-five percent of the house’s contents are period correct, a much smaller percentage was specific to the family. The home is very much a museum to both the President and the time, which is in contrast to the James Whitcomb Riley home whose mission is to maintain the authenticity of the home, the contents, and the story. The two homes are very much from the same time period and therefore we tended to juxtapose the two during our visit.


President Harrison received many gifts both during his time as a practicing lawyer and as President of the United States. A great number of the items, some of which are highly unique, are located at the home for public viewing. A couple of these gifts can be found in the first floor library, including a larger-than-life bookcase that was built inside the home, in pieces, because of its incredible size. The bookcase now holds a great deal of the President’s personal books and references for his law practice.  You will also see a rather unique chair made out of animal horns and Bobcat hide (not to be easily forgotten) gifted to Harrison from one of his Texan clients.  


One of the most exciting elements of the tour can be found in the Back Parlor.  Our tour guide played a disc of Beethoven on an antique Reginaphone that belonged to the family, demonstrating the sound quality that still remains after so many years. It was quite unexpected and pure entertainment.   


There is an eery awareness in the President’s master bedroom when you find out that Harrison passed away on that very bed in 1901.  Another point of interest in the room was the portable gym owned by the President.  A portable gym was an item for the upper classes of the time. The case held a variety of wooden dumbbells and a pulley system for weightlifting. 


President Harrison is known for being the President to have electricity integrated into the White House; it is no small surprise that his home does also display the technology. While there were a number of “modern” additives, the home didn’t feel exceptionally innovative. One important technology definitely absent from the home is indoor plumbing.


The Harrison home was renovated and rededicated around 1960 and is highly accessible to the public. With the exception of one room, tours are able to enter all rooms that are a part of the experience.  


We visited both the James Whitcomb Riley home and the Benjamin Harrison home on the same day. The visit to the Harrison home takes about 90 minutes and tours begin on the hour and half hour. The entrance fee is $8.00 per person ($7 with AAA and $6 for seniors) and the museum accepts both cash and charge. We definitely recommend arriving 15 minutes before your tour to view the home’s exterior. The Harrison home is mostly handicap accessible and includes an elevator - however there are stairs that must be traversed in order to enter the home. The grounds do contain a carriage-house that is a reproduction built upon the original foundation. The carriage-house is not a part of the standard tour, however our guide mentioned that upon request they would be more than happy to show us the building. 

James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home

The James Whitcomb Riley home was tremendously enjoyable to visit. James Whitcomb Riley was an accomplished poet and author. Born in Indiana, he is one of the Hoosier State’s most prominent citizens of old. Great pains have been taken to preserve the house as it was in 1916 when the poet reposed. The house is still in the original condition, and with the exception of a few rare pieces of furniture, the contents originally belonged to the home; those that weren’t originally a part of the home were items that belonged to Mr. Riley and were donated back to the estate.


528 Lockerbie Street was the home of Mr. Riley for the last 23 years of his life, however he was not the owner of the home.  John R. Nickum built the home in 1872 for his wife and daughter.  Later, in 1893, Mr. Riley moved in with the family and lived there until his death.  The house is a fascinating look into a very technologically savvy Victorian home.  The home was run on three types of energy:  coal, natural gas and later the family had electricity installed.  The house also boasted indoor pluming (both hot and cold water), and an early intercom system throughout the home. 


Each room of the home had new and interesting characteristic that made it unique. From the foyer to the servant's quarters and back down into the kitchen, we felt well informed and impressed by the home itself and the knowledge of those showing us each and every detail the home had to offer it’s guests.


Of course Mr. Riley’s room was a highlight of the tour.  Possessions of his, including handwritten first editions of his works, are displayed throughout the room and give the visitor a glimpse into his world.  However, not to be overlooked is the tangible expression of how the family of the home chose to live their lives.  Charity was a large portion of their every day.  Generosity overflowing throughout the home from the obvious fact of Mr. Riley’s presence to the quarters provided to their live in help (the servant’s quarters having the luxury of running water while the master bedroom lacked that feature).Unlike other historical sites, you are able to peek into each room of the home, thoroughly satisfying even the most curious. Not all rooms are visitors able to enter, but that hardly detracts from the ability to observe and enjoy. Details are the key to your visit at the Riley home. Be sure to take your time, observe, and ask plenty of questions.The tour itself is not free and is a cash-only event, however the information and experiences are well worth the $4.00 per person entrance fee. Photos are not permitted within the home, however there are a number of postcard photos available for purchase at the end of the tour. Tours are available during the open hours. There are a number of stairs and steps and the facility isn’t set up for those with mobility issues. Parking is on the side of the house and you enter through the front after ringing the doorbell. Visit http://rileykids.org/museum for more information.

The last stanza from Mr. Riley’s Little Orphan Annie:

An' little Orphant Annie says, when the blaze is blue,

An' the lamp-wick sputters, an' the wind goes woo-oo!

An' you hear the crickets quit, an' the moon is gray,

An' the lightnin'bugs in dew is all squenched away, -

You better mind yer parunts, an' yer teachurs fond an' dear,

An' cherish them 'at loves you, an' dry the orphant's tear,

An' he'p the pore an' needy ones 'at clusters all about,

Er the Gobble-uns 'll git you

Ef you

Don't

Watch

Out! 

“Oldfields” at the Indianapolis Museum of Art

  

We chose a beautiful Saturday morning in April to venture out to the Indianapolis Art Museum where we toured the beautiful and historic “Oldfields” estate, which to most Hoosiers is known as the “Lilly Home.”  It was originally built as a country home to escape the city life by the Landon family between 1909 and 1913.  The home was then sold to the Lilly family, who is known for their pharmaceutical empire, early in the great depression. In the 1960’s Lilly family then donated the home and all the lands as a site for the new Indianapolis Art Museum.

The mansion is an impressive vision in white. A number of the twenty-two rooms feature items and artifacts belonging to the family. Sadly a large percentage of bedroom furniture and personal items no longer reside at Oldfields as some were auctioned to settle the estate of the late J.K. Lilly Jr. Adding to the loss of furniture, the museum previously utilized most of the rooms on the second floor as galleries. They now serve as museum of the house rather than an example of life. Despite lacking some of the personal home furnishings the whole house is a wonderful visiting experience. The library being a personal favorite of ours.

The estate features exquisite gardens and vast landscaping that has been well maintained and restored. There is a trickling waterfall, small garden bridge, multiple fountains, and hundreds of trees, flowers, and other forms of vegetation. There is even a meticulously manicured formal garden. The estate also features a sizable greenhouse. The greenhouse is open to the public as well and does have plants for sale - so you may want to factor that into your trip budget.

Currently, Oldfields serves as a historic landmark and a mainstay example of life in the early 20th century and the whole experience is entirely free to the public. You may enter the home from the lower rear entrance. There is a movie that plays an introduction to the home, time period, and some special information. We definitely recommend picking up the Oldfields’ Guide book for approximately $15. It contains a variable bundle of information.