Caring Legacy

Large and imposing, the Haven Hubbard house draws attention. But its handsome exterior barely hints at the historic features inside. Indiana Landmarks is helping owner Greencroft Communities find a buyer for the house, on the market for $35,000.

Jonathon and Hannah Hubbard arrived in St. Joseph County in 1836, buying land near New Carlisle. Generations of Hubbards enlarged the farm while also succeeding in business, banking and the law. Jonathon’s son Ransom built the stately brick home around 1860 and remodeled it in the 1890s in the Queen Anne style popular at the time, with updates including a new porch and a distinctive solarium.

After Ransom Hubbard’s son Haven died childless in 1916, his widow Arminia donated the 750-acre family farm and nineteenth-century homestead to the Evangelical Church, with enough money to build the Haven Hubbard Memorial Old People’s Home. The property continued to operate as a farm, and residents helped with chores and running the facility. Today, Greencroft Communities operates a modern retirement facility nearby.

Though it has been vacant for nearly a decade, the solidly built homestead remains in remarkably good condition. Inside, stunning original woodwork and built-ins, fireplaces and exquisite parquet floors take center stage, along with several pieces of antique furniture that could be sold with the property. A two-story mid-century addition at the back of the house adds another 2,200 square feet of space that could be adapted to a variety of new uses.

Located about 20 minutes from South Bend and 90 minutes from Chicago, the site would make an excellent inn, office, or destination restaurant. The house will need complete renovation including new heating, plumbing, exterior restoration work and a new roof. The property will be sold with protective covenants requiring approval for exterior changes.

For more information, contact Todd Zeiger, 574-232-4534, tzeiger@indianalandmarks.org.