A historic Ellettsville mansion steeped in myths about mutiny and the Paris Opera House is for sale. Here’s what you need to know.
Where is the historic Ellettsville mansion that’s for sale?
The mansion is at 6445 W. Maple Grove Road, just northwest of a Cook Group plant and across Matthews Drive from Bybee Stone Co.
Does the mansion have a name?
Yes, it’s called the Matthews Mansion.
What are the origins of the name?
The mansion is named after John Matthews, who came to Ellettsville more than a century ago from London, England. He developed such an expertise with preparing limestone for buildings that he earned the nickname “Father of Indiana Limestone.”
When was the Matthews Mansion built?
According to the real estate listing, construction began in 1862, but a history of John Matthews and his business written by Clay Stuckey says Matthews obtained the land in 1876. The home was finished in the late 1870s.
How big is the mansion?
The 4,386-square-foot, two-story limestone home has 12-foot ceilings, three bedrooms, a walk-out basement, three fireplaces and a wine cellar. The property sits on 2.76 acres. The annual property tax is near $9,000. According to H-T archives, the home was constructed with large limestone blocks laid without mortar. An air gap separates the stone from the interior lath and plaster.
What are some of the myths associated with the Matthews Mansion?
Chris Smith, a local Realtor and the home’s listing agent said according to family lore, the house was designed by French architect Charles Garnier, who also designed the Paris Opera House. However, Smith said that story is unlikely to be true. While Matthews and Garnier were acquaintances, Smith said it appears that the two met after the Ellettsville home had already been designed.
Smith said it’s likely that Matthews became enamored with the Second French Empire architectural style during his time in New Orleans, where he had to stay for a while after a mutiny on his ship.
What makes the mansion special?
Smith said the mansion stands out because of its history, architectural style and location, which overlooks, from a front balcony, an expanse of green.
While the home features some of the original materials, including two 150-year-old windows and plaster crown mouldings, Smith said the current owners have done a great job to update the home for modern conveniences. For example, the home features soapstone countertops and Frigidaire appliances in the kitchen, a spa-inspired marble bath and custom closets.
According to 2018 story in the H-T, “the house burned once when a fireplace flue malfunctioned. Peter T. Matthews, oldest of the Matthews sons, (died) when he and some other men tried to remove an iron pot from the smoke house. It was filled with explosives for the quarry, and it exploded when they dropped it. Four died and nine were injured in the blast.”
Stuckey’s history has a slightly different account. In his version, the 1884 flue fire was in an old house the Matthews family occupied prior to building the mansion. The fire spread to the smokehouse where the explosives were stored in an iron kettle and it was shrapnel from this that killed Peter T. Matthews and at least two, possibly three, others.
In both versions, the home stood empty from about 1920 to 1955, and vandals smashed some of the windows and tore out banisters for firewood.
What’s the asking price for the mansion?
The seller is asking $998,500. Smith said while his team has had three showings already, the Matthews Mansion is not the type of home that is going to sell overnight.
Boris Ladwig can be reached at bladwig@heraldt.com.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Ellettsville’s historic limestone Matthews Mansion for sale
Reporting by Boris Ladwig, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
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