Indiana Governor's Residence
Encyclopedia
The Indiana Governor's Residence is the official home of the family of the Governor of Indiana
and is located in Indianapolis
, Indiana
. In use since 1973, it is the sixth official residence of Indiana's governors.
in Indianapolis
, Indiana
. It sits on an estate of 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) at 4750 North Meridian Street. Designed by Scott Wadley, with the firm of Rabush and Hunter serving as architects, the English Tudor home was built in 1928. It was acquired by the state of Indiana in 1973 from attorney C. Severin Buschman for US$242,000. The home was then renovated for approximately $800,000, including $125,000 in funds from a Lilly Endowment
grant. Renovation included the installation of air conditioning and modern wiring.
Approximately 10500 sq ft (975.5 m²), with twenty-three rooms, eleven of them bathrooms, it is considered a typical size for an English Tudor home and resembles many of the other homes in the neighborhood that were built in the same time period. Although the appearance is similar to the other homes, it is structurally unique because its support and foundation are made of concrete, whereas typical Tudor homes are entirely wooden. The home's lower floor is open to the public and tours are offered regularly to visitors. The rooms available for viewing include the foyer, a library, the formal living room, formal and informal dining room, a sun porch, a kitchen, a butler's pantry, residential staff offices, and event space. The second floor is reserved for the first family as a living area and is off limits to the public. The third floor contains additional bedrooms and a large attic space; rooms can be rented on this floor and the proceeds are used to fund the mansion. The home receives approximately 10,000 visitors annually.
had two governors. William Henry Harrison
, the first governor, built a plantation-style home in Vincennes
, and named it Grouseland
for its many birds. Built in 1804, it was one of the first brick buildings in the territory. The home is still preserved and is a National Historic Landmark
. Thomas Posey
, the territory's second governor, had a home built in Corydon
, but lived there only briefly before moving to Jeffersonville
where he rented a room in a boarding house. The Posey House is preserved as part of a National Historic District.
There have been six official residences of Indiana's governors since Indiana became a state, but only five were actually inhabited by the first family. There were four other unofficial residences that governors also lived in while no other accommodations were available. The first residence of a state governor was in Corydon on a small hill overlooking the first statehouse; Governor Jonathan Jennings
and his wife Anne lived in it from 1816 until 1822. The home was visited by United States Presidents Andrew Jackson
and James Monroe
. The building is no longer standing but a new home has been built upon its original foundation and uses its cellar as a basement. Governor William Hendricks
also lived in Corydon at Governor Hendricks Headquarters
, an unofficial residence purchased by Hendricks from Davis Floyd
and located on the same block as Jennings' home. Floyd had built the home for himself, but lost it after the Panic of 1819
. Hendricks lived there during his term as governor, from 1822–1825, and later sold it.
The second official residence for the state's governor was built in the center of Indianapolis where the Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument
now stands. It was designed by Alexander Ralston
, who also laid out most of the city. The mansion cost $6,500 and was completed in 1827 during the term of Governor James B. Ray
. Ray's wife refused to live in the home because of its lack of privacy; it was never used by a governor. It was inhabited by Indiana Chief Justice Isaac Blackford
from around 1830 until the 1850s. It was demolished in the 1870s.
Without an acceptable home for the governor, the state purchased the house of Dr. John H. Sanders to serve as a residence for the Governor in 1837. The location, on the corner of Market and Illinois Streets in Indianapolis, proved to be damp and unhealthy because of the wetland conditions of the area during that time. Governor James Whitcomb
blamed the conditions for his wife's death. The home was abandoned in 1861 during the term of Oliver Morton, who briefly lived in the house but refused to stay. The house was sold during his term and eventually destroyed.
The governors remained without an official residence until 1919 when the state purchased a home located at 101 East 27th St., Indianapolis, for $65,000 and furnished it for an additional $20,000. It was built by Henry Kahn in 1908 and had the design of an English country house. The home had a Gothic
interior with high, beamed ceilings and luxurious Wilton carpeting. After a brief renovation, the home was inhabited by the governor starting in 1919 and remained so until 1945. The building was sold by the state to the Marott Hotel, which intended to turn it into a clubhouse, but eventually demolished it in 1962 to clear land for a parking lot.
The fifth home for the governor was purchased in 1945 and located at 4343 N. Meridian St. The home was built in 1924 by Harry Lane, an auditor for the Indianapolis Stockyards. Three stories high with slated roofs and 12 rooms, it was famed for its golden bathroom fixtures and its high gilt-tipped iron fence. It was purchased from his widow for $72,000. It served as residence for the governor from 1945 until the present mansion was purchased in 1973. The home was sold at an auction in 1973 to Robert L. Dawson, who in turn sold it to Dr. John C. Klein in 1978.
After the building was auctioned, there was a brief period while the current residence was in renovation. During that period, governors Edgar Whitcomb
and Otis Bowen took up residence in the Riley Towers
located at 200 N. Alabama St. The state leased the penthouse for their residence at a cost of $1,150 per month.
Governor of Indiana
The Governor of Indiana is the chief executive of the state of Indiana. The governor is elected to a four-year term, and responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of the functions of many agencies of the Indiana state government. The governor also shares power with other statewide...
and is located in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. In use since 1973, it is the sixth official residence of Indiana's governors.
Current residence
The Indiana Governor's Residence is located in the historic district surrounding North Meridian StreetMeridian Street (Indianapolis)
Meridian Street is the primary north-south street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States.Meridian Street was formerly aligned with US 31 for much of its length in the city of Indianapolis, before being re-routed to a segment of Interstate 465. The street delineates east addresses from west...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. It sits on an estate of 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) at 4750 North Meridian Street. Designed by Scott Wadley, with the firm of Rabush and Hunter serving as architects, the English Tudor home was built in 1928. It was acquired by the state of Indiana in 1973 from attorney C. Severin Buschman for US$242,000. The home was then renovated for approximately $800,000, including $125,000 in funds from a Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment
Lilly Endowment Inc., headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana is one of the world's largest private philanthropic foundations and is among the ten largest such endowments in the United States....
grant. Renovation included the installation of air conditioning and modern wiring.
Approximately 10500 sq ft (975.5 m²), with twenty-three rooms, eleven of them bathrooms, it is considered a typical size for an English Tudor home and resembles many of the other homes in the neighborhood that were built in the same time period. Although the appearance is similar to the other homes, it is structurally unique because its support and foundation are made of concrete, whereas typical Tudor homes are entirely wooden. The home's lower floor is open to the public and tours are offered regularly to visitors. The rooms available for viewing include the foyer, a library, the formal living room, formal and informal dining room, a sun porch, a kitchen, a butler's pantry, residential staff offices, and event space. The second floor is reserved for the first family as a living area and is off limits to the public. The third floor contains additional bedrooms and a large attic space; rooms can be rented on this floor and the proceeds are used to fund the mansion. The home receives approximately 10,000 visitors annually.
Previous governors' residences
Before Indiana became a state, the Indiana TerritoryIndiana Territory
The Territory of Indiana was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 4, 1800, until November 7, 1816, when the southern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Indiana....
had two governors. William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison
William Henry Harrison was the ninth President of the United States , an American military officer and politician, and the first president to die in office. He was 68 years, 23 days old when elected, the oldest president elected until Ronald Reagan in 1980, and last President to be born before the...
, the first governor, built a plantation-style home in Vincennes
Vincennes, Indiana
Vincennes is a city in and the county seat of Knox County, Indiana, United States. It is located on the Wabash River in the southwestern part of the state. The population was 18,701 at the 2000 census...
, and named it Grouseland
Grouseland
Grouseland, the William Henry Harrison Mansion and Museum, is a National Historic Landmark in architectural and historical fields. Grouseland is a large, two-story red brick home built for William Henry Harrison in Vincennes, Indiana, during his term as Governor of the Indiana Territory...
for its many birds. Built in 1804, it was one of the first brick buildings in the territory. The home is still preserved and is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. Thomas Posey
Thomas Posey
Thomas Posey was an officer in the American Revolution, a general during peacetime, the third Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and a Louisiana Senator.-Family and background:...
, the territory's second governor, had a home built in Corydon
Corydon, Indiana
Corydon is a town in Harrison Township, Harrison County, Indiana, United States, founded in 1808, and is known as Indiana's First State Capital. After Vincennes, Corydon was the second capital of the Indiana Territory from May 1, 1813, until December 11, 1816. After statehood, the town was the...
, but lived there only briefly before moving to Jeffersonville
Jeffersonville, Indiana
Jeffersonville is a city in Clark County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. Locally, the city is often referred to by the abbreviated name Jeff. It is directly across the Ohio River to the north of Louisville, Kentucky along I-65. The population was 44,953 at the 2010 census...
where he rented a room in a boarding house. The Posey House is preserved as part of a National Historic District.
There have been six official residences of Indiana's governors since Indiana became a state, but only five were actually inhabited by the first family. There were four other unofficial residences that governors also lived in while no other accommodations were available. The first residence of a state governor was in Corydon on a small hill overlooking the first statehouse; Governor Jonathan Jennings
Jonathan Jennings
Jonathan Jennings was the first Governor of Indiana and a nine-term congressman from Indiana. Born in Readington, New Jersey, he studied law with his brother before immigrating to Indiana in 1806 where he took part in land speculation...
and his wife Anne lived in it from 1816 until 1822. The home was visited by United States Presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and James Monroe
James Monroe
James Monroe was the fifth President of the United States . Monroe was the last president who was a Founding Father of the United States, and the last president from the Virginia dynasty and the Republican Generation...
. The building is no longer standing but a new home has been built upon its original foundation and uses its cellar as a basement. Governor William Hendricks
William Hendricks
William Hendricks was a Democratic-Republican member of the House of Representatives from 1816 to 1822, the third Governor of Indiana from 1822 to 1825, and an Anti-Jacksonian member of the U.S. Senate from 1825 to 1837. He led much of his family into politics and founded one of the largest...
also lived in Corydon at Governor Hendricks Headquarters
Corydon Historic District
The Corydon Historic District of Corydon, Indiana, United States, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also known as Indiana's First State Capital and as Historic Corydon...
, an unofficial residence purchased by Hendricks from Davis Floyd
Davis Floyd
Davis Floyd was an Indiana Jeffersonian Republican politician who was convicted of aiding American Vice President Aaron Burr in the Burr conspiracy. Floyd was not convicted of treason however and returned to public life after several years working to redeem his reputation...
and located on the same block as Jennings' home. Floyd had built the home for himself, but lost it after the Panic of 1819
Panic of 1819
The Panic of 1819 was the first major financial crisis in the United States, and had occurred during the political calm of the Era of Good Feelings. The new nation previously had faced a depression following the war of independence in the late 1780s and led directly to the establishment of the...
. Hendricks lived there during his term as governor, from 1822–1825, and later sold it.
Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (Indianapolis)
The Indiana Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is a tall neoclassical monument in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana that was designed by German architect Bruno Schmitz and completed in 1901....
now stands. It was designed by Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston
Alexander Ralston was one of two co-architects for the design of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.-Life:Alexander Ralston was born in Scotland in 1771. In Britain he was engineer working for the Baron of Roslin on his estate before immigrating to the United States after the American Revolution...
, who also laid out most of the city. The mansion cost $6,500 and was completed in 1827 during the term of Governor James B. Ray
James B. Ray
James Brown Ray was an Indiana politician and the only Senate President-Pro-Tempore to succeed to become Governor of the State of Indiana. He served during the period when the state transitioned from personal politics to political parties, but never joined a party himself. Elevated at age 31, he...
. Ray's wife refused to live in the home because of its lack of privacy; it was never used by a governor. It was inhabited by Indiana Chief Justice Isaac Blackford
Isaac Blackford
Isaac Newton Blackford was the second Chief Justice of the Indiana Supreme Court, the court's longest serving Justice, and among the longest serving jurists in the history of the United States. He wrote an eight volume work entitled Blackford's Reports recording all the early decisions of the court...
from around 1830 until the 1850s. It was demolished in the 1870s.
Without an acceptable home for the governor, the state purchased the house of Dr. John H. Sanders to serve as a residence for the Governor in 1837. The location, on the corner of Market and Illinois Streets in Indianapolis, proved to be damp and unhealthy because of the wetland conditions of the area during that time. Governor James Whitcomb
James Whitcomb
James Whitcomb was a Democratic United States Senator and the eighth Governor of Indiana. As governor during the Mexican-American War, he oversaw the formation and deployment of the state's levies...
blamed the conditions for his wife's death. The home was abandoned in 1861 during the term of Oliver Morton, who briefly lived in the house but refused to stay. The house was sold during his term and eventually destroyed.
The governors remained without an official residence until 1919 when the state purchased a home located at 101 East 27th St., Indianapolis, for $65,000 and furnished it for an additional $20,000. It was built by Henry Kahn in 1908 and had the design of an English country house. The home had a Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
interior with high, beamed ceilings and luxurious Wilton carpeting. After a brief renovation, the home was inhabited by the governor starting in 1919 and remained so until 1945. The building was sold by the state to the Marott Hotel, which intended to turn it into a clubhouse, but eventually demolished it in 1962 to clear land for a parking lot.
The fifth home for the governor was purchased in 1945 and located at 4343 N. Meridian St. The home was built in 1924 by Harry Lane, an auditor for the Indianapolis Stockyards. Three stories high with slated roofs and 12 rooms, it was famed for its golden bathroom fixtures and its high gilt-tipped iron fence. It was purchased from his widow for $72,000. It served as residence for the governor from 1945 until the present mansion was purchased in 1973. The home was sold at an auction in 1973 to Robert L. Dawson, who in turn sold it to Dr. John C. Klein in 1978.
After the building was auctioned, there was a brief period while the current residence was in renovation. During that period, governors Edgar Whitcomb
Edgar Whitcomb
Edgar Doud Whitcomb was the 43rd Governor of Indiana. His term as governor began a major rift in the Indiana Republican Party as urban Republicans became more numerous then rural Republicans, leading to a shift in the priorities of the party leadership. Whitcomb found himself opposed by speaker of...
and Otis Bowen took up residence in the Riley Towers
Riley Towers
Riley Towers are two residential high rises in Indianapolis, Indiana. They were completed in 1963 and have 30 floors. They are the tallest residential buildings in Indianapolis and Indiana.-External links:****...
located at 200 N. Alabama St. The state leased the penthouse for their residence at a cost of $1,150 per month.