The Ruthmere Museum Campus recently acquired the building directly north of the Havilah Beardsley House, now referred to as the Beardsley Carriage House. As a part of the original 1848 Havilah Beardsley farmstead, this building which is believed to have been constructed in 1874, was a natural addition to our historic properties.

ACQUISITION

On July 9th, 2020, a substantial fire struck the residence (then belonging to a private owner) and made it unlivable. Over the remainder of the summer, the owner worked with Indiana Landmarks through the help of an Efroymson Family Grant to obtain a feasibility report prepared by Kil Architecture & Planning. The report determined that the building was indeed salvageable, but it would require significant work.

Ruthmere stepped into this void and opened a discussion with the owner regarding Ruthmere's longstanding interest in putting the Beardsley Carriage House and the Havilah Beardsley House "back together." A friendly negotiation ensued, producing a private sale transfer of ownership!

WHAT'S NEXT?

The Beardsley Carriage House has recently completed Phase One of our structural stabilization goals. In 2021, we gave the building a new roof, made it safe to walk through, buttoned up all the doors and windows, removed the excessive trees that were too close, and installed a new project sign asking for community support.

In 2023, we have plans to move forward with our Carriage House Project. Stay tuned for more details!