George Ade House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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George Ade House
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George Ade House, June 2012
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | East of Brook off State Road 16, Iroquois Township, Newton County, Indiana |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1904 |
| Architect | Mann, Billy |
| Architectural style | Tudor Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000014 |
| Added to NRHP | September 27, 1976 |
The George Ade House, also known as Hazelden, is a large, two-story home in Iroquois Township, Newton County, Indiana. It has fourteen rooms and is built in the Tudor Revival style. A Chicago architect named Billie Mann designed this house, which was built in 1904. It was the home of George Ade (1866–1944), a famous newspaper writer, author, humorist, and playwright. Ade named his property Hazelden, after his English grandparents' home.
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Who Was George Ade?
By the early 1900s, George Ade had worked for twelve years as a newspaper reporter and writer in Chicago, Illinois. He decided to move back to Indiana and live in the countryside. Ade was born and grew up in Kentland, another farming town in Newton County, Indiana.
He became very well-known as a newspaper writer. He wrote a column called "Stories of the Streets and of the Town" for the Chicago Daily News. This newspaper later changed its name. George Ade also published collections of his articles as books. He wrote a weekly newspaper column and a series of humorous stories called "fables in slang." These stories used everyday language and lots of capital letters for emphasis.
Ade was also a successful playwright for the Broadway stage. His most famous plays were The County Chairman and The College Widow. Some of his books and plays were even made into movies. With the money he earned from his writing, Ade bought a lot of farmland in Newton County, Indiana. He eventually owned about 2,400 acres.
Building Hazelden
In 1902, George Ade's brother, William, bought 417 acres of wooded land for George. This land was along the Iroquois River near the town of Brook in Newton County. George Ade named this property Hazelden. He chose the name after his English grandparents' home.
Ade then had a two-story, fourteen-room house built on the land. He moved from Chicago into his new home in 1904. He owned Hazelden for the rest of his life.
Hazelden's Journey Through Time
After George Ade passed away in 1944, Hazelden was given to Purdue University. This was Ade's old college. However, the university could not afford to keep the house in good condition. So, they gave the property to the State of Indiana. The state government also found it too expensive to maintain. They then turned it over to officials in Newton County.
In 1962, a group called the George Ade Memorial Association started raising money. Their goal was to buy, fix up, and restore the home. Because of their efforts, Hazelden was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. This means it is a special place worth protecting.
What Does Hazelden Look Like?
George Ade first planned to build a simple summer cottage. But his friend, Billie Mann, a Chicago architect, designed a grand country manor instead. Mann was also a member of Ade's Sigma Chi fraternity.
Ade's two-story, fourteen-room house was built in 1904. It cost about $25,000 at the time. The house is made of wood and features a Tudor Revival style. This style includes decorative half-timbering and stucco on the upper floor. It also has windows with small panes of leaded glass and ceilings with visible wooden beams.
Ade also made many improvements to the property outside the house. He added beautiful gardens, a swimming pool, a greenhouse, and a barn. There was also a small house for a caretaker and other buildings. In 1910, he even added a golf course and a country club next to his home.
Hazelden's Many Uses
George Ade often had guests at Hazelden. He usually spent his summers there. During the winter months, he would rent a home in Miami, Florida, for vacations. He also traveled around the world a lot.
Hazelden was not just Ade's summer home. After 1905, it became his main home. It was also used for important political meetings and community events.
- In 1908, William Howard Taft announced he would run for president of the United States at Hazelden.
- In 1912, Hazelden hosted a political gathering for Theodore Roosevelt's Bull Moose Party.
- In 1924, Vice Presidential candidate Charles W. Dawes gave a speech there.
Ade also hosted many fun parties and events. On July 4, 1919, he held a big homecoming party for soldiers and sailors. He also had parties for the local community, children, and alumni from Purdue University. His Sigma Chi fraternity brothers and members of the Indiana Society of Chicago also gathered there. Plus, he hosted golf tournaments on his course.
The George Ade Memorial Association, which helped save the home, ended its work in 2018. As of 2019, officials in Newton County are checking the house's condition. They are making plans to restore it. They hope to open it to the public as a historic site and use it for events in the future.
