The Perfect Touch
Greves'
home among gems
on Tri-Kappa Tour of Homes
By
Ruth Wright
Staff Writer
MADISON, Ind. – (October 2002) The Tri Kappa Tour
of Homes, scheduled for Oct. 18-20, will showcase eight private Madison
residences.
“Our tour this year offers something for everyone,” said Shannon
Dattilo, co-chairman of the event.
Included in the tour this year is the home of Ron and Evangeline (“Vangie”)
Greves, located at 718 W. Main St. The Greek Revival style dwelling
was built in 1837-38 for Madison industrialist Jacob Shuh. Although
the architect is unknown, many of the home’s design elements are
similar to that of the Lanier Mansion, which was designed by architect
Francis Costigan.
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Ron & Evangeline Greves' home |
The similarities between the two homes lead some to conclude
that the Greves’ home was also designed by Costigan. The home has
changed ownership several times over the past 165 years and has served
as the residence for many prominent citizens in Madison’s history,
including dry goods merchant Charles L. Holstein, Dr. Robert W. Cochran,
and Dr. Schuyler A. Whitsitt.
The Greves purchased the home at auction in 1981. The previous owner,
George A. Leininger, Jr., had started restoring the home. The Greves
took over where Leininger left off and have modernized the home’s
plumbing and wiring and have made a vast number of cosmetic improvements.
Vangie Greves did most of the interior decorating herself. “I tried
to keep it light and cheery,” she explained of her home’s
eclectic decor. The Greves have also tried to preserve the home’s
historical integrity by maintaining the original woodwork where possible
and matching all improvements to the original style.
Other than a small addition in the back of the home, they have made
no major structural changes. They did strip the brick on the outside,
which had been painted by a previous resident.
The first floor of the home features an entry hall with a double parlor
to the left and a formal dining room to the right, a full bath, a sitting
room, a kitchen with an informal dining area and a small enclosed porch
off the back. Original ceiling medallions frame the lights that hang
in the entry hall, formal dining room, and double parlor. The full bath
features a stained glass window designed by Vangie Greves.
The second floor of the home features three bedrooms, a laundry room,
two full baths and a sitting room. The master bath features a corner
garden tub.
Although some of the improvements, such as the modern kitchen, belie
the home’s age, peculiar features such as the 13-foot ceilings,
the narrow “clothes press” closets and the steep “maid
steps” off the kitchen reveal the home’s history. Visitors
to the home can expect a charming residence that blends stylish decor
with the beauty of the past.
Advance tickets for the tour are $12 adults and $5 for children ages
2-10. To order, call the tourism office at 1-800-559-2956 or visit:
www.trikappatourofhomes.com.
On tour weekend, tickets can be purchased at tour headquarters at the
Madison Presbyterian Church, 202 Broadway, for $15 adults, $6 children.
Tickets are good for the entire weekend. Tour hours are 10 a.m. to 6
p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Tri Kappa Sorority is an Indiana organization for women established
in 1901 to further the goals of scholarship, culture and charity. All
proceeds from the Tour of Homes will go toward scholarships and philanthropic
projects of Tri Kappa Sorority.