|
Birthday Bash
Historic Madison Inc. marks 170th year
of Shrewsbury-Windle House
A Gala fundraising event was held
to celebrate the occasion
By Don Ward
Editor
(July 2019) – Capt. Charles Shrews-bury may have been taken aback from the scene on June 14 of more than 100 people milling about the lawn of his majestic home on the Ohio River in Madison, Ind., sipping wine and listening to Dixieland jazz on a beautiful Friday night. Shrewsbury commissioned the construction of the home in 1846. It was completed in 1849.
|
Photo by Don Ward
HMI board members and Executive Director John Staicer (at podium) celebrate the 170th birthday of the Shrewsbury-Windle House during the June 14 Gala. |
The Historic Madison Inc.’s Gala on that evening was a fundraiser event organized to celebrate the 170th birthday of the Shrewsbury-Windle House and mark the occasion with tours of the home, food and fun, much in the spirit of the housewarming party that Charles and Ellen Shrewsbury threw on April 6, 1849 to introduce their newly built home to Madison. A Madison Courier newspaper account of the time described the event as “the largest crowd ever at a party here… The house itself just finished and now just inaugurated is the most splendid in town and is admirably adapted for a soiree.”
Shrewsbury was a Virginia native and a riverboat captain who earned his fortune as a commission merchant, meat packer and as part owner of the Palmetto Flour Mill. Shrewsbury also served as mayor of Madison from 1870 to 1872 and died in office.
The Shrewsburys owned the home until 1917 when it sold at sheriff’s sale to Harry Baldwin and Lucy Rogers Walker.
John and Ann Windle, a couple from Chicago, purchased the home in 1948 from the Walkers and renovated it. They were avid antique collectors and furnished the home with many of those antiques.
HMI inherited the home soon after the death in 2009 of Ann Windle, who with her husband had founded the historic preservation organization in 1960. John Windle died in 1987. Ann Windle deeded the home to HMI upon her death at age 98 in hopes that it would continue to be used for such celebratory events, according to HMI President John Staicer. HMI is following her wishes now that the restoration is complete by offering the home for rent for various events and weddings.
The 2 1/2-story, brick, Greek Revival-styled home sits on a sort of bluff at 301 W. First St. with a sweeping view of the Ohio River. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark. Famed architect Francis Costigan designed the home and included a magnificent 53-step spiral staircase to the second floor, reminiscent to the spiral staircase he built in the nearby Lanier Mansion State Historic Site.
|
Photo by Don Ward
Guests stroll about the lawn at the Shrewsbury-Windle House in Madison, Ind., during the June 14 fundraising Gala, which included live music and a silent auction. |
The home features 16 rooms and 13 fireplaces. Its formal twin drawing rooms may be the best preserved example of Greek Revival domestic interior design in the United States.
Soon after HMI took possession of the home, it launched a $2 million fundraising campaign to restore the home to its former glory. The campaign exceeded its goal, raising $2.2 million then began a four-year restoration of the home. HMI celebrated the completion of the restoration last spring soon after learning the project had earned the prestigious Cook Cup Award for Outstanding Restoration for 2019. The award, which is on display in the home, is presented by Indiana Landmarks. During the Gala, Staicer made several announcements:
In connection with the Cook Cup award, Indiana Landmarks in collaboration with Storytelling Arts of Indiana is commissioning a Hoosier storyteller to research, write and perform an original story based on the Shrewsbury-Windle House. The initial performance will be given in Indianapolis in February. A second performance will take place at the Shrewsbury-Windle House in spring or summer 2020.
The American Institute of Architects, Indiana Chapter, recently announced a Merit Award for the restoration to Ratio Architects and HMI for the restoration.
In honor of the 170th anniversary, a Shrewsbury-Windle House Christmas Tree ornament will be available this fall as part of the city’s yearly ornament program. Staicer added that “it will certainly be a much sought after collector’s item this year.”
Staicer also announced that HMI is rehabilitating the adjacent Talbott-Hyatt House for its new office. It’s part of the preservation organization’s successful capital campaign to create a campus for HMI in the neighborhood. The Talbot-Hyatt-House will be HMI’s contribution to the 2019 Candlelight Tour of Homes this fall.
Back to July 2019 Articles. |
|