This southern Indiana mansion was built by a former U.S. President and has stood tall for more than two centuries.

Get our free mobile app

Hoosier History

Here lately I've been on a kick of learning about some of the oldest places around Indiana, and through this journey through Hoosier history, I've learned a lot of really neat facts about our state.  For instance, Indiana's oldest store was founded the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected President, and it's STILL open to this day!  I also learned recently that the oldest continually open high school in the state is located right here in Evansville.  Oh, and did you know that the oldest city in Indiana is older than the United States of America?   So let's dive into the oldest house in Indiana.

The Oldest House in Indiana

Located in Vincennes, Indiana is a gorgeous mansion that sits along the Wabash River.  This mansion is more than 220 years old and was once home to a United States President.  According to Visit Vincennes, President William Henry Harrison was Governor of the Indiana territory when he had Grouseland built.  Construction of Grouseland took place from 1802 to 1804.

This gorgeous historic mansion is now a museum that you can tour, and according to the official Grouseland website, the mansion has been restored to look as it did when it was the Harrison family home.

Explore history inside this beautiful mansion, Harrison had built along the Wabash River in Vincennes, Indiana to be the center for the Territorial government, his family home and a fortress of protection during hostile times. Grouseland was built 1802-1804. The home was saved from demolition in 1909 by the Francis Vigo Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution and has been managed by the Grouseland Foundation since 1999.

 

Grouseland is preserved and restored as Harrison's home with its period of significance being 1800-1812. Family members owned the home until approximately 1850.

If you'd like to visit William Henry Harrison's Grouseland, you can find the hours of operation, and upcoming events schedule, here.