James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Significant dates

James Whitcomb Riley House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. Historic district Contributing property


Location in Indianapolis Show map of Indianapolis Location in Indiana Show map of Indiana Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	528 Lockerbie Street, Indianapolis, Indiana
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1872 (1872)
Architectural style	Late Victorian
Visitation	5,101
Part of	Lockerbie Square Historic District (ID73000038)
NRHP reference No.	66000799
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	December 29, 1962
Designated CP	February 23, 1973

The James Whitcomb Riley Museum Home is a special historic house in Indianapolis, Indiana. It's located in the Lockerbie Square Historic District. This house is famous because the well-known poet James Whitcomb Riley (1849-1916) lived here for many years. He was often called the "Hoosier poet." In 1962, the house was recognized as a National Historic Landmark because of its connection to Riley.

History of the Riley Home
Architecture of the House
Gallery
See also

History of the Riley Home

Building the House

An Indianapolis baker named John R. Nickum had this house built in 1872. He earned enough money to build it by supplying the Union Army with hardtack during the Civil War. Hardtack was a tough cracker that soldiers often disliked.

Riley's Time in the House

In 1893, Nickum's daughter, Magdalena, and her husband Charles Holstein invited James Whitcomb Riley to live with them. Riley was a famous poet. He lived in a second-floor bedroom in this house for 23 years. He helped the Holsteins with their household expenses.

Preserving the Home

After Riley and the Holsteins passed away, William Fortune bought the house in 1916. Five years later, he transferred ownership to the James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association. This was likely at the request of author Booth Tarkington.

Because the house was preserved so soon after Riley's death, most of his belongings are still there. Only the kitchen items have changed over time. The Riley Children's Foundation now runs the house as a museum. Visitors can see Riley's wicker chair, which he used after a stroke in 1911. They can also see the bed where he died on July 22, 1916.

Architecture of the House

Library, showing the interior woodwork.

This house is a two-story brick building with a stone foundation. It's a great example of Italianate architecture, which was popular for homes built in the 1860s and 1870s. The roof is covered with slate shingles. It has wide, overhanging eaves and fancy decorated brackets.

The house also features a central tower with oval-shaped glass doors. Its tall, narrow windows have masonry crowns on top. The highest floor has windows shaped like an upside-down "U." Inside, all the woodwork is hand-carved from solid hardwoods.

Originally, the house used gas for lighting, but now it has electricity. There were also "speaking tubes" installed. These allowed people in other parts of the house to send messages to the staff in the kitchen. Water pumps brought water from a well to tanks in the attic. This supplied water to different rooms throughout the house.