The Legg House is a historic former

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate ch ...

in Bloomington,

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Built in the middle of the nineteenth century, it has experienced a range of uses, culminating in its present status as an

Indiana University Indiana University (IU) is a system of public universities in the U.S. state of Indiana. Campuses Indiana University has two core campuses, five regional campuses, and two regional centers under the administration of IUPUI. *Indiana Universit ...

office building. After a period of deterioration, it was restored to its original condition, and it has been designated a historic site.

Construction

A farm occupied the present site of the Legg House at least as far back as 1820. At that time, it lay on the edge of the city; the nearby Third Street was the only road that connected Bloomington to the outside world. Landowner George M. Legg built the original portion of the house in 1848,Haeberle, Bennett. "University, City Team Up to Restore Historic House". ''

Indiana Daily Student The ''Indiana Daily Student'' (''IDS'') is an independent, student-run newspaper that has been published for the community of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, since 1867. The ''IDS'' is free and distributed throughout the campus and ci ...

'', 2001-09-05. using a variant of the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

style of architecture. Its construction employed local materials: the walls are built of handmade bricks, laid on a foundation of locally mined limestone, and supported with poplar beams that were cut in the Bloomington vicinity.IU, City of Bloomington Receive Grant for Historic Building Restoration
,

, 2001-08-30. Accessed 2010-09-10. At the time of construction, it was a small house: just one story tall, it was divided into only two rooms. In later years, the house was modified significantly: a porch and

frame A frame is often a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction and/or steel frame that limits the construction's extent. Frame and FRAME may also refer to: Physical objects In building construction *Framing (con ...

wing were added during the 1870s, and elements throughout the house were covered during the twentieth century with elements such as drywall.Hinnefeld, Steve. "House To Be Restored". '' The Herald-Times'', 2002-07-13. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs.

Usage

By the early 1870s, the house had passed out of Legg's possession, being occupied by the parents and grandparents of William Lowe Bryan. At this time, it still lay at the city's edge, but the location became more central after 1883: in that year, a fire destroyed the buildings of Indiana University at Seminary Square, and the trustees chose to move the campus to property immediately northeast of the Legg House. Within a few years of the university's move, the house was converted into a boarding house, a status that it held when visited by Bryan, by that point the president of the university, in 1890. This use continued into the late twentieth century; even after the university purchased the house in 1964, it was employed as student housing. Insufficient funding ensured that the house was not properly maintained; it was boarded up in 1993, and the university initially considered demolishing the structure before preservationists and city officials began to negotiate for its preservation.

Restoration

In April 2001, the Legg House was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

, both because of its place in local history and because of its historically significant architecture. Later that year, as a result of this designation, the city and university were awarded a grant of $27,000 from the

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

division of the

Indiana Department of Natural Resources The Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is the agency of the U.S. state of Indiana. There are many divisions within the DNR and each has a specific role. The DNR is not only responsible for maintaining resource areas but also manages In ...

, and renovation began in 2002. During its nine years of vacancy, the house deteriorated greatly; although the original woodwork of the interior was in satisfactory condition, the exterior had suffered such damage as broken windows, a collapsing porch, and rotting window sills. Among the elements restored by

Greenfield Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to: Engineering and Business * Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation * Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist * Greenf ...

company Advance Restoration were the foundation, the brick chimney, and the many wooden walls; workers removed both old paint applied by previous owners and significant amounts of graffiti applied by recent vandals. Today, the Legg House is actively used by Indiana University, serving as the location of the university's housing office.South Central Region

, n.d. Accessed 2010-09-11.

References

External links

University website
{{IUB Houses completed in 1848 Indiana University Bloomington Former houses in the United States Greek Revival houses in Indiana Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana National Register of Historic Places in Monroe County, Indiana University and college administration buildings in the United States Buildings and structures in Bloomington, Indiana Houses in Monroe County, Indiana