The Vincennes City Cemetery is made up of three sections of land named “Greenlawn,” “Fairview,” and “Memorial Park.” Greenlawn, dating all the way back to 1788, is recognized as being the oldest public cemetery in the state of Indiana. It was once…

You are now looking at what remains of a once grand structure that was one of the main hubs of activity in the city. In the early 1850s, with the persistence of people like Abner T. Ellis, the railroads arrived in Vincennes to the absolute delight…

“Terrace Gardens” was once one of the hottest and most popular entertainment venues in Vincennes. It was the dream of a man named Earl Conrad. Opened in 1930, its design was inspired by George Washington’s Mount Vernon. Terrace Gardens was situated…

You are now standing on the corner where one of the world’s largest department store empires began. Adam Gimbel was a Jewish man who came to the US from Bavaria (in what is now Germany) and arrived in New Orleans around 1830. At the age of…

Who is Bishop Simon Bruté? He was a brilliant man whose remains are interred in a crypt beneath the altar in the Old Cathedral behind you. Bruté was born and raised in Rennes, France in 1779. He studied in France and became a medical doctor during…

The Greek Revival House was constructed for Abner T. Ellis in or around 1838. He lived in the home until his death in 1864. Over the years Ellis wore many hats. He had been a probate judge, a borough president, state senator, and an early proponent…

The “Bonner-Allen House,” located at 505 Main Street, was built around 1842 in the Federal or Greek Revival architectural style. Most of Vincennes’ citizens to this day refer to this architectural gem as “Gardner’s Funeral Home.” David S. Bonner is…

In 1859 Major Charles P. McGrady, former president of the Vincennes Gas Light Company and railroad contractor, had the home built in Gothic Revival architectural style. In the mid 1860s the home was sold to Joseph Pollock, who then had it remodeled…

The name “Pearl City” originated sometime between 1900 and the early 1930s, when the mussel fishing industry here sparked a “pearl rush.” This stretch of the Wabash River was once filled with people, mostly squatters, who lived in tents, shanties,…

This unassuming corner is the former site of the Vincennes Streetcar Barns. For over fifty-five years this area was hustling and bustling with activity and played an important role in the evolution of transportation within the community. Streetcars…