the BEACON Newspaper, Indiana beacon12-18 | Page 4

Page 4A
THE BEACON
December 2018
Preserving the Richness and History of Dearborn County
Continued from page 1A
not necessarily true. It just
takes someone to start it and
somebody to…”
“To have that vision,” sug-
gests Mrs. Baer.
Both women applaud Chris
McHenry for starting the
organization that was initially
based in two small rooms in
the courthouse. Mrs. Baer
says, “They were there for
many years until Doug Hen-
drick purchased the house - the
Vance-Tousey House - and
through his collaboration with
the city, they leased it to us for
thirty years.”
Sometimes history provides more questions than answers:
like this discarded device tucked into an upstairs corner.
She continues, “The lease
was up in May; we now own
the house and as long as we
Photos by Susan Ray
continue to maintain it as a
historical society, we have use
of it.”
Some of the many ways the
Dearborn County Historical
Society puts the house and
grounds to use is by being
available to answer questions
from residents and out of town
guests about the house, city
and county; by offering tours
of the Vance-Tousey House
and Angevine Cabin, and by
encouraging public use of
the research room. Mrs. Baer
says, “If folks want to do their
research, we have microfilm
which the library does not
have. They have microfilm
newspapers, but we have
deeds, wills, marriage records
on microfilm, so we work
hand in hand with the library.”
Anyone can stop in during
normal hours, but are just as
welcome to call the office
number and make arrange-
ments to visit at a time more
convenient for them.
At the front entrance of the
Vance-Tousey House is a par-
terre, or symmetrical, formal
garden, as well as cut-flower
and kitchen, or herb, gardens
located along the sides of the
house. In 2013, the Historical
Society worked with Purdue
University landscape students,
Casey’s Outdoor Solutions
and the Southeastern Indiana
Master Gardener Association
to research, design, restore,
and care for the grounds.
Stored inside the Vance-
Tousey House are well over
20,000 items including: family
histories; an upright Cook
piano; albums of vintage
postcards, interesting items
from the Chapman Lodge in
Dillsboro, vintage clothes, hats
and shoes; a Military Room
dedicated to local veterans;
personal diaries; a timeline
designed by Lawrenceburg
High School alumni Chad Wil-
liams, bound newspapers; and
much more.
The Historical Society
considers itself to be a steward
This c. 1818 cabin was built by James and Susan
Angevine in York Township and used into the 1980s.
Believed to have been used as a laboratory for the roller
mills, this room is yet another part of Dearborn County’s
intriguing past.
of historical artifacts as well
as the centuries-old house and
nearby cabin, so is committed
not only to preserving local
history, but to sharing well-
researched and documented
information, also. The organi-
zation recently partnered with
Indiana Landmarks in hosting
the Ridge Avenue Ramble, a
self-guided walking tour of
four historic homes in Green-
dale, Indiana. On the day of
the event, volunteers from the
Historical Society welcomed
visitors into the houses, shared
information about the families
who had lived there and put
the individuals and structures
into historical context. Partici-
pants were able to talk with
the current owners of each of
the iconic homes and walk
through the houses, some of
which were in the process of
being restored to their former
grandeur. The sold-out event
proved so popular that another
‘Ramble’ is currently being
considered.
On Nov. 25, the volunteers
will once again welcome
visitors and lead tours during
Christmas in the Country. Ac-
cording to volunteer Marilee
Hamilton, this special holiday
celebration will take place at
the Angevine Cabin and the
Vance-Tousey House. Both
buildings and the Boy Scout
cabin will be open to the
public that afternoon. Families
In 2000, the Vance-Tousey
House was added to the
National Register of Historic
Places.
can make seasonal crafts, take
a wagon ride, enjoy refresh-
ments, and visit with Santa.
This and future community
events are opportunities for
residents to learn about the
work of the Historical Society
and to consider becoming a
member, donating a few hours
alongside fellow Hoosiers,
and/or contributing to the all-
volunteer group. Currently the
non-profit is raising funds to
preserve the Angevine Cabin.
After two hundred years, the
overall structure of the build-
ing is sound, but the decking
on the porch needs to be re-
placed and sealed, the roof and
gutters are in need of atten-
tion, and some of the logs and
chinking have to be replaced.
Continued on page 5A
T his Thanksgiving, we here at Mansfield
Insurance Agency are thankful for many
things, our country, our veterans and our
families which includ es our customers.
Thank you for your loyalty for the
past 37 years.
THE BEACON - Bringing our Community and Businesses Together.