The lasting legacy of Wayne County architecture

If you’re an avid historic architecture buff, Richmond and Wayne County holds a trove of visual treasures just waiting to be discovered.
Many historic homes and buildings popped up along the National Road during the early to mid 19th century as the Old National Road fed westward expansion, commerce and settlement, and the east-west thoroughfare remains a solid starting point to observe structures from pioneer log cabins, inns to residential properties. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the handsome three-story federal style Huddleston House anchors the western edge of Wayne County in Mount Auburn. After driving by, plan to spend a pleasant few hours wandering through Yesterdays Antiques at the 1847 Vinton House Hotel, High Hats, Building 125 and other antique stores housed in old Federal-style storefronts along the National Road where it runs through Cambridge City.

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Huddleston House
Traveling east, keep an eye out for the Centerville arches built into the Old National Road rowhouses as entry points for wagons back in the 1830s, and see if you can spot all five. In Centerville you’ll find the 1811 log cabin Salisbury Courthouse, the oldest existing structure of its kind in Indiana and an intriguing counterpart to the 19th-century Richardsonian Romanesque Wayne County Courthouse in current use in Richmond.

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Centerville Archways
Richmond proper presents a variety of historic neighborhoods to check out, including the charming homes and shops of Old Richmond encompassing 213 historically significant structures, the Starr Historic District with 120 historical buildings and the Historic Depot District.

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Reeveston Home
A quiet stroll through the tree-lined residential streets of the prestigious 1920’s Reeveston neighborhood is a great way to admire some of the city’s most coveted homes spanning a wide variety of architectural styles such as tudor, colonial, spanish revivalist and more.

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Old Richmond Historic District
Richmond, at the turn of the 20th century, was home to more millionaires per capita than any other city in the United States. The Millionaires Row stretch of the National Road on Richmond’s east side across from Glen Miller Park boasts a handful of gorgeous landmarks including the white-columned, Colonial Revival-style Gennett Mansion, the former home of the Starr Piano Company founder and president of Gennett Records. 

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Gennett Mansion
North of town on rolling open farmland, the Victorian-style Abram Gaar House and Farm Museum offer tours by appointment for an immersive glimpse into how one of Richmond’s most prominent local families lived during the late 19th century.
See it all for yourself! Self-guided historic walking and driving tours are available at the Old National Road Welcome Center.