Links Legacy

Rea Park was created in 1925 with a $100,000 bequest from William S. Rea, a Terre Haute grocery owner, real estate developer, bank director, and business mogul. His widow Geraldine donated an additional $40,000 for a clubhouse and sold 160 acres to the city for $1 to establish a public golf course in in memory of her husband — who seldom (possibly never) played the game.

Hyped at its dedication in 1925 as “the nation’s finest municipal golf facility,” the Mediterranean Revival-style Rea Park Clubhouse was designed by local talent from Johnson, Miller, Miller, and Yeager. Nationally known landscape architect Lawrence Sheridan designed the 18-hole course.

(Photo: Ball State University Drawings and Documents Archive)

From the golf course to the clubhouse, Rea Park has remained remarkably intact through the decades. While the course is in top shape, deferred maintenance has taken an unfortunate toll on other park features, particularly the clubhouse. Though it retains historic charm, the building shows increasing signs of deterioration.

In 2014, the Friends of Rea Park formed to identify urgent repairs and envision ways to expand use of the clubhouse and revitalize the historic park, working in collaboration with the city parks department and Indiana Landmarks. An Indiana Landmark’s Partners in Preservation grant helped fund a National Register nomination, and the park achieved listing in June. The group also commissioned a clubhouse rehabilitation and conceptual park improvement plan for project guidance and public education.

Learn more about historic Rea Park and efforts to preserve it by visiting the Friends of Rea Park website. For more information about the Partners in Preservation program, contact Indiana Landmarks’ Western Regional Office, 812-232-4534, west@indianalandmarks.org.