On August 13 at the Indiana State Fair, Jeff Lucas and Anne Fields Lucas of Monroe County received the 2026 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation from Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Farm Bureau, honoring the family’s stewardship of the historic Tate-Tatum Farm south of Bloomington.

John and Susanna Tate established the farm in 1822. Today the farm retains several historic buildings dating to their ownership more than two centuries ago, including the original farmhouse and double-crib log barn. The farm remained in the Tate family for generations until Jeff Lucas and Anne Fields Lucas purchased it in 2015 and began adapting the property for modern agricultural operations and as an event venue known as Whippoorwill Hill.

Respect for the property’s heritage has inspired the Lucases to restore and maintain its historic buildings, including repairing and repainting the 1822 double-crib log barn. In 2024, the Lucases embarked on a major rehabilitation of the 1822 Tate-Tatum Farmhouse, which now serves as a preparation and gathering space during event season and as a short-term rental in the winter.

The family has adapted the farm’s historic outbuildings for continued use, converting the historic double-seater outhouse as a run-in shelter for the farm’s pony and donkey, and reusing historic garages as a chicken coop and farm storage. To honor the farm’s heritage, the Lucases successfully nominated it to the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2016, the couple acquired the 1892 Russell Barn from Shelby County, Indiana, where the vacant structure had fallen into disrepair and partial collapse. After dismantling and cataloguing the barn, the Lucases oversaw its reconstruction on the Tate-Tatum Farm, preserving as much of the original material as possible while adapting the structure as a modern event venue complete with a commercial kitchen, accessible restrooms, and exterior porches. Today, the transverse-frame barn hosts weddings, reunions, meetings, and other events. Income generated by events at the farm supports ongoing maintenance and preservation of its historic buildings.

Today, the Tate-Tatum Farm spans 156 acres encompassing farmstead, pastureland, woods, cropland, and hay ground that feeds the Lucases’ small herd of Angus/Charolais beef cattle and three horses.

Their interest in the property’s history also led them to uncover and preserve three-quarters of a mile of historic Monon Railroad bed that runs through the farm, now used as a walking and horseback riding trail leading to the former Hays Grocery, a 1913 general store that Anne’s parents, Rudy and Kay Fields, restored as a small lodging and gathering space supporting Whippoorwill Hill.

“Jeff and Anne Lucas’s stewardship of the Tate-Tatum Farm reflects their desire to honor the farm’s history while making it economically sustainable for the future, intentionally preserving its historic buildings and adapting them for continued use in a way that reflects the spirit of the Arnold Award,” says Tommy Kleckner, director of Indiana Landmarks’ Western Regional Office and Arnold Award coordinator.

“It feels redeeming to have the hard work we’ve put into the farm in the past ten years seen and appreciated at this level,” says Anne Fields Lucas. “This is an honor for not just us personally, but the farm itself and the folks who lived here, as well as a nod to Monroe County having an asset like this.”

The annual award is named in memory of John Arnold (1955-1991), a Rush County farmer committed to preserving Indiana’s rural heritage. For information about nominations for the 2027 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation, contact Tommy Kleckner at Indiana Landmarks, 812-232-4534, tkleckner@indianalandmarks.org.

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MEDIA CONTACTS

Tommy Kleckner, Director, Indiana Landmarks’ Western Regional Office, 812-232-4534 (office), tkleckner@indianalandmarks.org

Mindi Woolman, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Indiana Landmarks, 317-639-4534, 317-822-7904, mwoolman@indianalandmarks.org

Indiana Landmarks revitalizes communities, strengthens connections to our diverse heritage, and saves meaningful places. With nine offices located throughout the state, Indiana Landmarks helps people rescue endangered landmarks and restore historic neighborhoods and downtowns. People who join Indiana Landmarks receive its bimonthly magazine, Indiana Preservation. For more information on the not-for-profit organization, call 317-639-4534, 800-450-4534, or visit www.indianalandmarks.org.

Indiana Farm Bureau

For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to cultivate a thriving agricultural ecosystem to strengthen the viability of Indiana agriculture. Learn more at infarmbureau.org.