Henry S. Lane House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lane Place
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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North Side of the Lane Place
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 212 S. Water St., Crawfordsville, Indiana |
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| Area | 2.1 acres (0.85 ha) |
| Built | 1830 |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000003 |
| Added to NRHP | November 23, 1981 |
The Lane Place is a historic house located in Crawfordsville, Indiana. It was once the home of Senator Henry S. Lane (1811-1881) and his wife, Joanna Lane (1826-1914). You can find it at 212 South Water Street.
After Joanna Lane passed away, her niece, Helen Elston Smith, inherited the house. In 1931, Helen gave the house and almost everything inside it to the Montgomery County Historical Society. This means about 85% to 90% of the furniture and items are original to the house or belonged to the Elston family. The house has been a museum since 1931, even though Helen continued to live there for a few more years.
Lane Place was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. It is also part of the Elston Grove Historic District.
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The History of Lane Place
The Lane Place started as a small, three-room brick cottage. This cottage was built in 1831 by Maria and Isaac Elston. Major Isaac Elston was Joanna Lane's father.
Senator Henry Lane bought this cottage and the land around it in 1844. He purchased it from Isaac Elston when he married Joanna Elston. A famous writer, Lew Wallace, met his future wife, Susan Wallace (who was Joanna Lane's sister), at a party held in the house's formal parlor.
Henry Lane was an important lawyer and politician from Indiana. He served in the Indiana legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. In 1860, he was elected Governor of Indiana. Soon after, he became a U.S. Senator and served from 1861 to 1867. He was also a key figure in helping to create the Republican Party.
How Lane Place Grew Over Time
When Henry Lane bought the cottage in 1844, it was too small for him and his new wife, Joanna. They got married in February 1845 and moved into the cottage. They immediately started making the house bigger.
First, they added two rooms to the front of the cottage. Then, two more rooms were built on top of those. The original parlor of the cottage became the Lane family's dining room. At this time, the new part of the house wasn't fully connected to the old cottage.
In 1870, a library was added to the first floor. The old kitchen from 1831 was changed into a serving pantry. A new kitchen was built at the back of the pantry. In 1885, Helen Elston Smith came to live with the Lanes. Another bedroom was added to the second floor of the house for her. A porch was also added to both the first and second stories on the north side of the house. The roof of the original sleeping loft was raised, creating two more rooms. Finally, in 1900, the open space between the old cottage and the new additions was enclosed.
The Changing Colors of the House
The Lane Place has been painted many different colors since 1845. While Henry and Joanna lived there, the house was always white, even as new parts were added.
After Henry's death in 1881, Joanna painted the house gray as a sign of mourning. Later, when Helen Elston Smith owned the house (from about 1914 to 1920), it was temporarily painted pink! In 1920, the house was painted yellow. In 1945, the Montgomery County Historical Society decided to paint it white again. It has stayed white ever since.
The Strawberry Festival
The grounds of Lane Place are famous for hosting the Annual Crawfordsville Strawberry Festival. Joanna Lane originally started this festival as a social gathering where people would drink tea. Today, it is still held every year in June and is a popular community event.
