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How Greek Revival Took Root in Southeast Indiana
In southeast Indiana, the Greek Revival style reigns supreme not only in public buildings but in private residences as well.
Greek Life
Soaring Doric columns. Low-pitched roofs, Neoclassical pediments, and repeating blocks of “teeth” known as dentils are hallmarks of the Greek Revival style. In the early U.S., Greek Revival architecture – modeled on the temples of ancient Greece – gained popularity as a symbol of democracy and hopes for the new republic. In towns across Indiana, it became the preferred style of governmental buildings, its classically inspired forms lending a simple, timeless elegance and symbolic gravitas.
In southeast Indiana, however, Greek Revival reigns supreme not only in public buildings but in private residences as well. As the state grew in the early 1800s, its population advanced northward from the Ohio River. The settlement of southern Indiana coincided with the style’s popularity, resulting in a strong concentration of early Greek Revival-style houses in the region that remain today.
Indiana Landmarks helped rescue the c.1857 Levi Butler House in Dupont from foreclosure in 2015, making basic repairs before selling the property to Mark Hopkins, who completed a show-stopping restoration, recapturing original details to serve as a background for an artful mix of antiques and modern furnishings. In Ohio County, the grand 1846 Speakman House was a 2016 entry on our 10 Most Endangered list before Mark and Guinevere Banschbach saved the property, restoring it as their private residence.
Madison Indiana is well-known for its rich collection of nineteenth-century architecture. Two homes in particular stand as exemplars of Greek Revival residential style, both designed by master building Francis Costigan: the 1850 home Costigan designed for himself, and the National Historic Landmark 1849 Shrewsbury-Windle House.
Considered by many experts to be the finest example of Greek Revival domestic interior design in the United States, the Shrewsbury-Windle House is show-stopping display of Costigan’s genius, including its crowning feature: a freestanding spiral staircase ascending from the front foyer up through the entire height of the house.
In 2019, nonprofit Historic Madison, Inc., won Indiana Landmarks’ Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration for its $2.2 million restoration of the Shrewsbury-Windle House. Today, Historic Madison, Inc., offers public tours of both houses.
Farther east along the Ohio River, Indiana Landmarks own Veraestau Historic site is itself a standout example of the Greek Revival style. Perched on a hilltop above river, the property captures 125 years of the history and architectural evolution. The original house dates to 1810, with additions in 1838 and 1913 that remade the residence into a Greek Revival showplace.
Generations of two families—the Holman/Hamilton clan and O’Brien/Gibson family—took care to preserve the early landmark before it was gifted by the Cornelius and Anna Cook O’Brien Foundation to Indiana Landmarks in 2004. Today, the home serves to serve as a base for our Southeast Field Office and our work in southeast Indiana. The property is open for tours by appointment, and offers a beautiful venue for weddings, parties, receptions, and small meetings.
To learn more about residential architectural styles – from Greek Revival to Mid-Century Modern and beyond – check out our online Historic House Styles guide.
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