Vigo County Historical Society

Historical Treasure Article

Historic Treasure of the Week - October 20, 1985
By David A. Brock III
Vigo County Historical Society

'Major...built a house that long has stood and still will stand a while'

One of Terre Haute's treasures is now in a state of ruin and disrepair.

A lot of mystery surrounds the home at 131/2 and Poplar Streets, including the popular legend that a lady of ages past may have been killed by her husband and buried in the east-room chimney of the home.

The Major DeWees family moved to Terre Haute and built the new Preston House in 1833 from stone brought here from near Mecca. The mortar for the construction of the home was made from ground-up mussel shells from the Wabash River.

After Major DeWees died, the Preston family purchased the home from the DeWees heirs and lived there until the late 1960s. Natalie Preston Smith and her husband were very interested in the history of the home. Mrs. Smith was the last of the Prestons to live there.

Today's historical treasure from the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley includes three drawings and a poem by E. V. Smith, the husband of Natalie.

Smith apparently was very interested in the history of the house and drew pictures of how it looked in the 1940s when he lived there and in the middle
of 1800s shortly after it was built.

The 1945 drawing shows the front and rear of the home as it looked at that time. A one and one-half story addition which was added to the south side of the house can be seen in the sketch.

In his drawing of the "Origional Plan," done in 1946, one can see the old 33 square foot servants' house which included three rooms and a porch. This building looked very much like a modern day dwelling. The servants' house stood about 16 feet from and directly behind the present structure. A covered well also can be seen in the picture.

Both drawings show the circular brick patio, which completely surrounded the home but is invisible today.

The third picture by Smith is a composite of pictures around a poem he wrote in 1940. The poem is required reading for anyone interested in the house's history. It gives am overview on the events which contributed to the fame of the house.

The last verse of Smith's poem may be prophetic, for it says:
"What e'er the Major may have had
"Of virtue or of guile, "He built a house that long has stood
"And still will stand a while.
__E. V. S. 9-17-1940"

The treasures are on display in the first floor hallway near the back staircase in the museum. The drawing on the original plan is not yet ready for public viewing.

The museum, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday through Friday.