List of the oldest buildings in Indiana
Appearance
This article lists the oldest extant buildings in Indiana, including extant buildings and structures constructed prior to and during the United States rule over Indiana. Only buildings built prior to 1820 are suitable for inclusion on this list, or the building must be the oldest of its type.
In order to qualify for the list, a structure must:
- be a recognizable building (defined as any human-made structure used or intended for supporting or sheltering any use or continuous occupancy);
- incorporate features of building work from the claimed date to at least 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) in height and/or be a listed building.
This consciously excludes ruins of limited height, roads and statues. Bridges may be included if they otherwise fulfill the above criteria. Dates for many of the oldest structures have been arrived at by radiocarbon dating or dendrochronology and should be considered approximate. If the exact year of initial construction is estimated, it will be shown as a range of dates.
List of oldest buildings
[edit]![]() |
Building | Image | Location | First built | Use | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grouseland | ![]() |
Vincennes, Indiana | 1802-1804 | Residence | Home of president William Henry Harrison[1] It is the oldest standing building in Indiana. |
Indiana Territorial Capitol | ![]() |
Vincennes, Indiana | 1804 | Government | First territorial capitol of Indiana; moved from original foundation in 1949[1] |
Mont Clair Farmhouse | Knox County, Indiana | 1806 | Residence | ||
The French House | ![]() |
Vincennes, Indiana | ca. 1806-1809 | Residential | Built by an early French fur trader, also known as the Michel Brouillet House[1] |
Westfall House | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1807 | Residential | ||
Branham Tavern | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1808 | Commercial | ||
Kintner-McGrain House | ![]() |
Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1808 | Residential | |
Thomas Downs House | ![]() |
Charlestown, Indiana | ca. 1809 | Residential | Built for Thomas Downs, Clark County's first treasurer |
316 Ferry Street | ![]() |
Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1810 | Commercial | |
Veraestau | ![]() |
Dearborn County, Indiana | ca. 1810 | Residence | |
John Work House | ![]() |
Charlestown Township, Clark County, Indiana | ca. 1811 | Residential | Built for miller John Work |
Old Salisbury Courthouse | Centerville, Indiana | ca. 1811 | Courthouse | One of the oldest remaining courthouses in the Northwest Territory. | |
Little Cedar Grove Baptist Church | ![]() |
Mound Haven, Indiana | ca. 1812 | Church | Oldest church on its original foundation |
Scribner House | ![]() |
New Albany, Indiana | ca. 1813-1814 | Residence | Oldest building in New Albany. Built by one of the town's founders Joel Scribner |
Aunt Lucy Detraz House | Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Residence | ||
Barrett-Gate House | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Residence | ||
David McCormick Tavern | Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Commercial/ Residence | ||
Eigner Barn | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Outbuilding | ||
Potter's Barn | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Outbuilding | ||
Potter's Cabin | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Residence | ||
Weber Cabin | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Residence | ||
346 Granary Street | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1814 | Residence | ||
Old State Capitol | ![]() |
Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1814-1816 | Government | The second territorial capitol and the first state capitol of Indiana. |
Blue River Friends Hicksite Meeting House | Washington County Indiana | ca.1815 | Church | The oldest Quaker meeting house standing in the state. | |
505 Granary Street | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1815 | Residence | ||
Armstrong Tavern | Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1816 | Commercial/ Residence | Oldest known meeting place of the Masonic Lodge in Indiana. | |
Benjamin Ferguson House | ![]() |
Charlestown, Indiana | ca. 1816 | Residence | Built for state senator Benjamin Ferguson |
Empire House | Rising Sun, Indiana | ca. 1816 | Residence/ Commercial | ||
Perret Dufour House | ![]() |
Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1816 | Residence | |
Adams-Payne House | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence | ||
Governor Hendricks' Headquarters | ![]() |
Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence/ Government | |
Heth House | ![]() |
Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence | |
Israel Whitehead House | Vevay, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence | ||
Old Treasury Building | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Government | ||
Posey House | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence | ||
Schofield House | Madison, Indiana | ca. 1817 | Residence | The location of where the Grand Lodge of Indiana was formed in 1818. | |
Harmonist Granary | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Commercial | ||
James Brown Ray Home | ![]() |
Brookville, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Residence | |
James N. Tyner House | Brookville, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Residence | ||
Jeremiah Sullivan House | ![]() |
Madison, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Residence | |
Old Perry County Courthouse | ![]() |
Rome, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Courthouse | |
Richard Talbott Inn | Madison, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Commercial/ Residence | ||
Talbott House | ![]() |
Madison, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Residence | |
Vance-Tousey House | ![]() |
Lawrenceburg, Indiana | ca. 1818 | Residence | |
Eigner Cabin | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Residence | ||
George Keppler House | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Residence | ||
Jesse Hunt Hotel | ![]() |
Lawrenceburg, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Commercial | |
Porter Law Office | Corydon, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Commercial | ||
Salomon-Wolf House | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Residence | ||
510 Church Street | New Harmony, Indiana | ca. 1819 | Residence | ||
Sanders-Childers House | Indianapolis, Indiana | ca. 1820 | Residence | Oldest house in Indianapolis, built by William Sanders around 1820[2] | |
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral | ![]() |
Vincennes, Indiana | ca. 1826 | Church | Oldest Catholic Church in Indiana |
Richardville House | Fort Wayne, Indiana | ca. 1827 | Residence | Oldest building in Fort Wayne, built for Chief Richardville |
See also
[edit]- National Register of Historic Places listings in Indiana
- History of Indiana
- Oldest buildings in the United States
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Vincennes - Indiana State Museum". indianamuseum.org. Retrieved 2022-11-28.
- ^ Rudavsky, Shari. "Check out this house that's known as the oldest home in Indianapolis". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved 2023-01-19.