Schofield House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Schofield House
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Indiana
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| Location | Madison, Indiana |
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| Built | 1817 |
| Architectural style | Federal-style |
| Part of | Madison Historic District (ID73000020) |
| Added to NRHP | March 20, 2006 |
The Schofield House, also known as the Lanier-Schofield House, is a very old building in Madison, Indiana. It's part of the Madison Historic District, a special area with many historic places. Built in 1817, this house was the first two-story brick house in Madison. It was also the first building to serve as a tavern, a place where people could gather.
A very important event happened here on January 13, 1818. The Grand Lodge of Indiana was started in this house. This organization is for Freemasons, who are members of a worldwide social and charitable group.
Contents
A Look Back: The House's Story
The first people to live in the Schofield House were Alexander and Drusilla Lanier. They were the parents of a famous person named James Lanier. It's believed they had the house built in 1817. When it was first built, the house had a bedroom, a kitchen, and a tavern room on the first floor. Upstairs, there was a sleeping area and a meeting room.
Over time, the house was changed. The first bedroom became a parlor, which is like a living room. The kitchen was turned into a dining room.
The Birth of the Grand Lodge
On January 13, 1818, fourteen Freemasons from all over Indiana met at the Schofield House. They had decided to meet there the month before to create a Grand Lodge for Indiana. Alexander Lanier, who owned the house, was also a Freemason. His new tavern was a good place to set up a lodge room upstairs.
At this meeting, they approved the rules to start the Grand Lodge of Indiana. Nine smaller lodges from Indiana decided to leave the Grand Lodge of Kentucky to become the first parts of the new Grand Lodge of Indiana. After this important day, there's no record of the house being used for Masonic meetings again for about 150 years.
The House Today
After James Lanier sold the building, it stayed with the Schofield family for many years. In 1972, a group called the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in Indianapolis bought the house. Three years later, they fixed it up to become a Masonic museum. It opened to visitors on April 19, 1975.
Today, the Schofield House is supported by money from Indiana Freemasons and donations. If you are not a Freemason, you need to pay a small fee to visit the museum. Sometimes, special Masonic ceremonies are held there. However, the lodge room is small, made to look like 19th-century rooms. Because of its size, only certain types of ceremonies are usually held there.
Gallery
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Upstairs meeting room, where the Grand Lodge of Indiana was founded.
See also
- List of Masonic buildings in Indiana
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Jefferson County, Indiana
