Hannah–Oehler–Elder House
Hannah–Oehler–Elder House | |
 Hannah-Oehler-Elder House, July 2010 | |
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| Location | 3801 Madison Ave., Indianapolis, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°42′41″N 86°08′36″W / 39.71139°N 86.14333°W |
| Area | 3 acres (1.2 ha) |
| Built | 1859, 1872 |
| Architectural style | Italianate, Greek Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 78000046[1] |
| Added to NRHP | December 1, 1978 |
Hannah–Oehler–Elder House, also known as the Hannah House, is a historic home in Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana. It was built in 1859 and is a 2+1⁄2-story, five-bay, Italianate style brick dwelling with Greek Revival style design elements. It has a lower two-story kitchen wing with gallery added in 1872. The house has a low-pitched hipped roof with bracketed eaves.[2]: 2, 4
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.[1][note 1] Today, the location is most known for being a haunted house.
History
Alexander M. Hannah bought the materials to construct a house in November 1858, using $585 worth of brick.[2]: 4 Hannah had moved from California to his home state of Indiana after making substantial money from the California gold rush. The house was built in 1859 on 240 acres (97 ha) of farmland purchased from his father, Samuel Hannah.[3] He added a smokehouse, milk cooling room, staff quarters, and a wash house to the property following his marriage to Elizabeth Jackson in 1872. Their only child was stillborn on March 16, 1875, leaving no one to inherit the house.[4]
The house went on the market and was purchased alongside 21 acres (8.5 ha) of surrounding property by jeweler and Civil War veteran Roman Oehler in 1899.[2]: 4 Oehler was a successful local businessman who emigrated from Württemberg, Germany in 1859, initially selling pins door-to-door until he made enough money to open his first jewelry shop on Virginia Avenue.[5][6] Oehler added the front porch to the house, as well as a barn to replace the three previous barns Hannah initially built.[7] Roman Oehler died March 28, 1920, leaving the house to his daughter Romena.[5] Romena inhabited the house with her husband and four children until 1962. Her surname from her husband, Marion Elder, was the last to be associated with the property.[7]
The house is still owned by descendants of the Oehler family today.[8] In the 1960s and 70s, John and Gladys O'Brien rented the house and ran an antique store inside. During this period, the first reports of the paranormal activity that the house would become known for arose.[4]
Urban legends
The most popular urban legend surrounding the house revolves around the death of a group of fugitive slaves on the Underground Railroad hiding in the cellar. When an oil lamp was knocked over, the resulting house fire took their lives.[4] According to the myth, Alexander Hannah buried the bodies in the cellar to avoid being caught for harboring escaped slaves, trapping their souls in the basement. The hauntings resulting from this incident have made the Hannah house a popular destination for paranormal investigators and haunted house visitors.[9] The Hannah House's actual existence as a stop on the Underground Railroad is disputed, with Indianapolis historian Jessica Fischer stating, "There is no evidence to say that his house was a part of the Underground Railroad. All we know is he is a Quaker and an abolitionist who would be sympathetic to those enslaved. His property was located away from prying eyes in the city.”[8]
David M. Elder, a descendant of Oehler, called the property "supposedly the only true haunted house in town". He reported alleged paranormal phenomena such as the sound of breaking glass coming from an empty basement, chandeliers swaying without wind, pictures flying off the wall, and other noises and chilling sensations from the property. Multiple reports tell of the smell of rotting flesh emanating from certain rooms.[10] Other myths include sightings of a baby's spirit, believed to be the stillborn baby of the Hannahs.[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ The nomination form was submitted under the name Hannah–Oehler–Elder House, but the name was transcribed into the NRHP data base as Hanna–Ochler–Elder House.
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ a b c "Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database (SHAARD)" (Searchable database). Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology. Retrieved August 1, 2016. Note: This includes Robert Elder (April 1976). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Hanna-Ochler-Elder House" (PDF). Retrieved August 1, 2016. and Accompanying photographs
- ^ Pictorial and biographical memoirs of Indianapolis and Marion County, Indiana, together with biographies of many prominent men of other portions of the state, both living and dead. The Library of Congress. Chicago, Illinois: Goodspeed Brothers. 1893. p. 348. LCCN 06036456.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b c d Fischer, Jessica Erin (May 11, 2023). "Hannah House". Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (published 2023). Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ a b "Funeral Tomorrow for Roman Oehler". Indianapolis Times. Vol. 32, no. 278. March 30, 1920. p. 3. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Waldon, Mary (November 13, 1966). "Hannah House Has Held Several Families In Style". The Indianapolis Star. p. 4. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ a b "Historic Residence Open". The Speedway Flyer. Vol. 35, no. 40. Indianapolis, Indiana. November 17, 1966. p. 4. Retrieved June 18, 2025.
- ^ a b Jackson, Jade (October 5, 2023). "History, slavery and hauntings: The Hannah House legacy". Indianapolis Recorder. Archived from the original on May 13, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2025.
- ^ Swift, Shelley (August 9, 2012). "Getting into the Spirit of Things". The Indianapolis Star. p. S3. Retrieved July 31, 2025.
- ^ Heady, Linda (October 29, 1989). "Nine homes that go boo!". The Indianapolis Star. p. H-12. Retrieved July 31, 2025.