NEWS
Elkhart Carriage House Gains New Purpose
Following a full rehabilitation, c.1874 building serves as a welcome center for museum property.
Rising from the Ashes
In July of 2020, prospects looked bleak for Elkhart’s c.1874 Beardsley carriage house and stable, after a fire ravaged the historic building. Prizing its connection to the family of city founder, Havilah Beardsley, owner Ruthmere Foundation carefully investigated the damage and chose to acquire and save the structure. In May, the building reopened after a top-to-bottom rehabilitation giving it new purpose as the Beardsley Discovery Center, a welcome center introducing visitors to the Beardsley family and local history.
Havilah Beardsley founded the city of Elkhart in 1831, setting up a mill and other services on the north banks of the convergence of the St. Joseph and Elkhart rivers. His home today serves as a house museum operated by Ruthmere Foundation, telling the story of the family through the years, including the home’s extensive remodeling in 1874 by son James and daughter-in-law Susan Beardsley.
A 1926 project converted the property’s carriage house and stable into a private home following the parcel’s separation from the main estate, removing large entry barn doors to make way for doors and windows, which included bands of Prairie-style stained glass.
After serving as a residence until the fire in 2020, the building’s deteriorated condition caused some to wonder if the best use of the site would be to provide additional parking for the adjacent house museum. Others questioned the historic value of the building itself, given alterations had obscured the original design for nearly 100 years.
An investigation of the building by Indiana Landmarks’ Northern Regional Office Director Todd Zeiger, a Ruthmere Foundation board member, uncovered physical clues revealing the location of original oversized door openings and stables, verifying the connection to 1874 construction of the Beardsley family’s estate. Those clues—along with research by Ruthmere Foundation staff and the overall shape and location of the building—helped persuade the board to approve temporary stabilization of the building, allowing time for further investigations and evaluations of renovation costs and potential use, a key factor in determining the building’s future.
Through a $3,000 grant from Indiana Landmarks’ Endangered Places Grant Fund, combined with additional funding from the Ruthmere Foundation, the nonprofit retained Kil Architecture to conduct a structural analysis and develop schematic designs for repurposing the building as a welcome center, a long-needed entry point for first-time visitors to the multi-site museum campus.
This May, members of the community who financially supported the project joined with city leaders, members of the Ruthmere Foundation board, and Beardsley family descendants for a ribbon cutting of the new Beardsley Discovery Center.
“This project shows how the Indiana Landmarks Endangered Places Grant Fund often serves as the first step for saving a meaningful place, connecting communities with funding to begin thoughtful evaluation and analysis. It’s a valuable tool paired alongside the expertise of Indiana Landmarks’ regional staff assisting in identifying a viable strategy,” says Todd Zeiger, Indiana Landmarks vice president of preservation services and heritage trades. “The transformation of the Beardsley carriage house and stable is exactly the kind of outcome we hope for.”
Learn more about the Beardsley Discovery Center on their website.
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