Clement Studebaker, the co-founder of the Studebaker vehicle manufacturing firm built his stately manor Tippecanoe Place in the West Washington Historic District (then just known as a haven for the rich) of South Bend, Indiana in 1889. The Romanesque Revival style mansion was his home from 1889 until his 1901 death. Upon his death the house stayed in the family but in 1933 his son George was forced to move because of bankruptcy.
Developed between about 1854 and 1910, West Washington Historic District is a national historic district that includes 330 buildings and an exclusive upper class residential section. Among the historic homes are some of the best examples of the Italianate, Greek Revival, and Romanesque Revival style architecture in the United States.
When the Studebakers moved on from the palatial home it stood vacant till 1941 when E. M. Morris purchased and gave it to the city as a school for handicapped children. It only served this purpose for a few years and was turned into the headquarters of the Red Cross during WWII. In 1970, possession of the once home was passed to Southhold Restorations, Inc., a South Bend historic preservation group that worked to restore it to its former glory.
Now… It’s a restaurant.
Tippecanoe Place Facts
- Address is 620 W. Washington Ave. South Bend, Indiana.
- It is located in the West Washington Historic District.
- Today, the house is the location of the Tippecanoe Place Restaurant.
- The Tippecanoe is a popular place for weddings, parties, and corporate events.
- Added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1973.
- Tippecanoe Place was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 22, 1977
