On Saturday, June 14, 11:00am – 6:00pm, the John Ireland House will be open to the public. The c.1887 Italianate home at 429 Anderson St. in Greencastle has been painstakingly restored by DePauw University. This will be the only opportunity for most to see the inside of this exquisite building.
John Ireland owned a local millyard, and the home he built beautifully demonstrates his craft. Rooms are trimmed with unusually extensive and stunning woodwork. In addition, there are stained-glass panels and decorative fireplaces throughout. The University has furnished the building with period-appropriate decor.
The exterior of the brick house is one of the most ornate in the Eastern Enlargement Historic District, with features that define the Italianate architectural style. Details include stone lintels incised with a flower blossom/ vine pattern, and elaborately decorated brackets supporting the canopy-style overhang protecting the front entrance.
In future, the building will be used by DePauw to accommodate visiting faculty and dignitaries.
The University is allowing the Heritage Preservation Society of Putnam County to host the house tour as a fundraiser to benefit the restoration of the Civil War Monument in Forest Hills Cemetery. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children 12 years and younger.
Tickets are available on site the day of the tour. Advance tickets may be purchased at the following locations: Almost Home, Myer’s Market, Eitel’s Florist, and Vintage on Franklin.
Coordinating with the open house, there will be an historic car show from 11:00am-
3:00pm. Anderson Street will be closed between Bloomington and Locust Streets, allowing the antique cars to line up on the block where the Ireland House is located. Registration begins 9:00am – 11:00am and costs $10. Prizes will be awarded. It is free to attend the car show.
Visitors can park in the Rector parking lot off Hanna Street, between Bloomington and Locust.
Refreshments will be available for purchase on the back patio of the Ireland House. Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs are planned, along with homemade cookies. Tables and chairs will be set up on the shaded back lawn, which has been newly landscaped.
That afternoon there will also be a free public presentation by Ken Anderson at Forest Hills Cemetery, elaborating on the historical significance of the Civil War Monument. Maps will be available at the Ireland House.
The original opening of the Ireland House was also considered a newsworthy event in its day. An article [in “The Greencastle Times”] from October 11, 1888, notes that “A reporter was shown through the elegant new residence of Mr. John Ireland, on Anderson street last Sunday afternoon. The house has eleven capacious rooms each finished in a different kind of wood. The mouldings, doors and window work is particularly fine.”