Grouseland facts for kids
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William Henry Harrison House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 3 W. Scott St., Vincennes, Indiana |
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| Built | 1804 |
| Architect | William Lindsay |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000018 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | December 19, 1960 |
Grouseland is a very important historic home in Vincennes, Indiana. It was once the home of William Henry Harrison, who later became the 9th President of the United States. This beautiful two-story, red brick home was built between 1802 and 1804.
William Henry Harrison lived here when he was the first governor of the Indiana Territory. He named the house Grouseland because there were many grouse birds in the area. Today, Grouseland is a National Historic Landmark because of its special Federal-style design and its big role in American history.
Contents
History of Grouseland
Building a Governor's Home
In 1800, when he was just 27, John Adams, the U.S. president, chose William Henry Harrison to be the first governor of the Indiana Territory. Harrison arrived in Vincennes in 1801. He soon bought about 300 acres of land next to the town.
Harrison started planning his new home. Construction on his large Federal-style mansion began between 1802 and 1804. He wanted a grand home that showed his important position.
Grouseland was home to William Henry and Anna Tuthill (Symmes) Harrison and their ten children. At least three of their children were born there. One of them was John Scott Harrison, who later became the father of Benjamin Harrison. Benjamin Harrison also became a U.S. president, the 23rd one!
The Harrison family moved from Grouseland in 1812 to North Bend, Ohio. William Henry Harrison then served in the U.S. Army during the War of 1812. He also worked in the Ohio Senate and the U.S. Congress. In 1840, he was elected the 9th president of the United States.
Design and Cost of Grouseland
The architect William Lindsay designed Grouseland. Its Federal style reminded Harrison of the fancy homes he grew up in Virginia. Grouseland was very different from the simple log cabins most people lived in during that time.
In the early 1800s, the Indiana Territory was a wild frontier. Vincennes, the capital, was a small town with only about 700 people. Building Grouseland was very expensive for Governor Harrison. It cost around $20,000, which was a huge amount of money back then!
Skilled workers built Grouseland using local bricks. It was probably the first brick building in Vincennes and the Indiana Territory. The foundation was made from limestone blocks found nearby. The inside of Grouseland was decorated with fancy items brought from Europe.
Harrison wanted his home to show his importance as governor. Even though he was young, Grouseland helped everyone see his high position. His father, Benjamin Harrison, V, was famous for signing the Declaration of Independence.
Grouseland as the Governor's Hub
When Harrison was governor, Grouseland was the center of social and official life in the territory. Lawmakers often visited and stayed overnight at the governor's home. Vincennes was a very important city, governing more land than almost any other city outside Washington, D.C..
Governor Harrison also met with important American Indian leaders at Grouseland. These leaders included Little Turtle and Buckongahelas. They met to discuss and sign important land treaties. Between 1803 and 1809, Harrison signed eleven treaties. These treaties gave the U.S. government millions of acres of Native American land in what is now southern Indiana and most of Illinois.
Five of these land treaties were signed right at Grouseland. One famous treaty was the Treaty of Grouseland in 1805. It was signed in the mansion's main parlor, which was called the council chamber.
Meetings with Tecumseh
William Henry Harrison also had two important meetings with the Shawnee leader Tecumseh at Grouseland. On August 12, 1810, Harrison met Tecumseh and many of his warriors on the lawn outside the house. This meeting lasted for eight days, but they could not agree on a treaty.
Their disagreements later led to battles in Tecumseh's War. Harrison defeated Tecumseh's brother, Tenskwatawa (the Prophet), at the Battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. Harrison later defeated Tecumseh himself at the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
Later Uses of Grouseland
After the Harrison family left in 1812, Judge Benjamin Parke lived in Grouseland. In 1821, the house was given to Harrison's son, John Cleves Symmes Harrison. He lived there with his wife and six children for about ten years. The Harrison family owned the home until 1850.
Over the years, Grouseland was used for many different things. It was a grain warehouse, a library, a hotel, and even a private home for other families.
Saving Grouseland
In 1909, a company called the Vincennes Water Company bought the property. They planned to tear down the historic home to use the land for other purposes. But a group of women from the Francis Vigo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) stepped in.
They started raising money to buy Grouseland and save it from being destroyed. By 1916, the local DAR chapter had collected $2,000 from the community. They were given a special deed to the property. The DAR worked hard to restore the home to how it looked when William Henry Harrison lived there. They even furnished it with some of the Harrison family's original belongings.
Grouseland opened as a historical museum in 1911. In 1935, the City of Vincennes bought the water company. They then gave the local DAR chapter full ownership of Grouseland.
Grouseland as a Museum Today
Grouseland was named a National Historic Landmark in 1960. It was also added to the National Register of Historical Places in 1966. It is located at the corner of Park and Scott streets, inside the Vincennes Historic District.
The local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution still owns Grouseland. A group of volunteers called the Grouseland Foundation helps manage the building and its programs. They make sure the house is cared for and that visitors can learn about its history.
The Grouseland Rifle is a special item owned by the Foundation and displayed at the museum. This rifle is from the early 1800s and has been named the state firearm of Indiana. The main campus of Vincennes University is right next to Grouseland. Other historic places in Vincennes include the Territorial Capitol building.
What Grouseland Looks Like
Grouseland is located on about half a city block, about 100 yards from the Wabash River. This land was once part of William Henry Harrison's large 300-acre estate.
The house is a two-story, red brick building built in the Federal style. It has a tall roof and dormer windows, which are windows that stick out from the roof. There is also an attic. The house sits on a basement with a strong limestone foundation.
The main house and a smaller building behind it are connected by a covered walkway. On the first floor of the main house, there is a parlor (the council chamber) on the left. On the right, there is a dining room. An entry hall leads to a library at the back of the house. The second floor has six bedrooms and a hallway that connects to the building at the back.
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