Veraestau Historic Site

Our final stop is the Veraestau Historic Site, which is also Indiana Landmark’s southeast field office! The name “Veraestau” comes from the Latin words for spring, summer, and fall (no winter allowed!). The house and its 148-acre estate has a long and rich history, shaped and recorded by generations of two families: the Holman/Hamilton clan and the O’Brien/Gibson family. The original log cabin was built by Jesse Lynch Holman (1784-1842) in 1810. Unfortunately, the cabin burned in 1838. Allen Hamilton rebuilt the house in 1838 in the Greek Revival style, incorporing a brick part of the original building which survived the fire. In 1913, Allen’s daughter, Margaret Vance Hamilton, enlarged the house with a two-story addition on the east side. She was assisted by her cousin, Cleveland architect James Montgomery Hamilton, who copied and preserved the Greek Revival style of the 1838 house. In 1937, Cornelius O'Brien added a three-room brick addition to the 1913 west wing with the help of architect John Henri Deeken. The same year, Deeken designed and built stables to match the style of the main house. The property also includes an Indian mound, the family cemetery, and the remains of a kiln. Many arrowheads found on the hill indicate the presence of Indians who inhabited the site prior to Holman's arrival.

However, the significance of Veraestau goes beyond its architecture. Over the years, Veraestau has played host to a number of notable visitors and residents responsible for shaping the history of the region, the state, and even the nation. The builder of the original house, Jesse Holman, occupied a seat on the Indiana Supreme Court. Jesse’s son, William S. Holman (1822-1897), became a congressman. Both William and Allen Hamilton (Jesse’s son-in-law) participated in the 1850-1851 delegation that framed Indiana’s constitution. Edith and Alice, Allen Hamilton’s granddaughters, spent their early years at Veraestau. Alice Hamilton, the first woman on the medical faculty at Harvard, became renowned in the field of industrial medicine, and Edith Hamilton became a distinguished author of many books, including her famous Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. In 1933, Industrialist Cornelius O’Brien, an early conservationist and preservationist, bought the estate from the Hamiltons. His daughter Mary O’Brien Gibson nominated Veraestau to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and it was accepted on April 11th, 1973. In 2004, Indiana Landmarks received the 116-acre property as a gift from the Cornelius and Anna Cook O’Brien Foundation.

Today, Veraestau offers a beautiful setting for weddings, parties and other happy occasions. The estate also accommodates Indiana Landmarks’ Southeast Field Office.

Source(s): Indiana Landmarks, SHAARD, Wikipedia

Video source: "Veraestau Historic Sites." Youtube, uploaded by History in Your Own Backyard, 31 October 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=RUwQj1nF_AM&feature=emb_logo

Links:

https://secure.in.gov/apps/dnr/shaard/guest.html

https://www.indianalandmarks.org/our-historic-sites/veraestau/