National Historic Landmark

de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House

Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
Listed
June 26, 1997
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
97000595

About this property

The Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House was built near Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewas, it is believed to be one of only three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on March 2, 2012. Chief Richardville, the principal chief of the Miami from 1812 until his death in 1841, signed several treaties with the United States government as it negotiated with the Miami tribe for its eventual removal from Indiana as a recognized nation. Lands were reserved for Richardville's personal use, and $600 was provided for the building of a home. The Richardville House's architecture reflects both Greek Revival and Federal styles. When completed, using both the government's and his own funds, Richardville's Fort Wayne home was the equal in style and grandeur of the homes of prominent white residents of the area at that time. The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society acquired the house in 1991 with money donated by the Foellinger Foundation and the Ropchan Foundation. Farther south and west lies the trading and meeting place where the Wabash River and the Wabash and Erie Canal intersected in Huntington, Indiana. Here is another home owned by Richardville (lived in by Chief LaFontaine)– a white, two-story Greek Revival filled with period furniture and portraits of the owners. This is also the site where treaties were signed. Today, this house forms the centerpiece of the historic Forks of the Wabash park. List of archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Indiana Poinsatte, Charles R. (1969). Fort Wayne during the Canal era, 1828-1855: a study of a western community in the middle period of American history. Indiana Historical Bureau. OCLC 00069405.

Location

5705 Bluffton Rd.
Fort Wayne, Allen County, Indiana
41.03142, -85.16451

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTEUROPEANNATIVE AMERICANCOMMERCEARCHITECTUREHISTORIC - ABORIGINAL
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Southwood Park Historic District
Colonial
1.3 mi
Foster Park Neighborhood Historic District
Industrial
1.4 mi
Indian Village Historic District
Listed
1.4 mi
Illsley Place-West Rudisill Historic District
Industrial
1.5 mi
Oakdale Historic District
Listed
1.7 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Harmar's Defeat — First Engagement
1790Early Republic
3 mi
Battle of Harmar's Defeat — Second Engagement
1790Early Republic
3 mi

Questions about this property

When was de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House listed on the National Register?

de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 26, 1997.

What type of historic resource is de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House?

de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House?

The period of significance for de Richardville, Chief Jean-Baptiste, House is recorded as the industrial era.

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