Old Curtis Gilbert House

Description:	Drawing of the Old Curtis Gilbert Home on South Fruitridge Avenue by Juliet A. Peddle, Terre Haute Artist and Architect. Drawing of the Old Curtis Gilbert Home on South Fruitridge Avenue. Drawing by Juliet A. Peddle, Terre Haute Artist and Architect.The CURTIS GILBERT HOUSE on Fruitridge Avenue is a familiar landmark to most of us in this community.The date of its original construction I have not been able to place exactly, but I believe from its lines it must have been built at least by 1850, and probably earlier. A family named Peck lived there before Mr. Gilbert occupied it, and a son, Simon, was born in the house, I am told. I find in one of the histories that a Simon Peck, son of Joseph Peck, was born in 1853. His age and background, as given in the account, fit the description of the man who was born in this house; and if I am correct, the date of the house thus definitely is before 1853. Joseph Peck, the father, was married in Vigo county in 1842, but I do not know whether they went to housekeeping in this house or not.Joseph Gilbert was the son of Curtis Gilbert, one of our earliest settlers here. He was born in 1839 at the Gilbert home on Ohio street between Sixth and Seventh streets. The family moved to the farm where Gilbert Avenue is now located when he was a small child and he lived here until the time be was married in 1862. The above house was enlarged at that time and made comfortable for the young couple who went to housekeeping there.Mr. Gilberts daughter, Mrs. Robert Gillum, tells me that the house originally had only two rooms, the two adjacent to the porch, and was set lower to the ground than at present. It was raised enough to provide a basement and two rooms were added at the back when the Gilberts went there to live. At some time in its history a mantel from the first Curtis Gilbert house at First and Ohio streets was moved here and is still in the house.Mr. Gilbert was interested throughout his life in the agricultural and horticultural development of the county and took an active part in city affairs also. He lived in this house until he died in 1913. Since his death the house has been sold and is no longer in the family.Though the house has been enlarged from the original size, it still has much of the flavor and interesting character of the early farm homes in this vicinity which were built after the early days of pioneer hardship and people could give a little attention to making their houses attractive as well as serviceable
Origin:	01/01/2005
Contributor(s):	Peddle, Juliet, 1899-1979
Source:	http://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/rose/id/826
Collection:	Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Logan Library
Rights:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/UND/1.0/
Copyright:	Copyright Undetermined
Subjects:	Architectural drawings Architecture Houses Gilbert, Curtis, 1795-1877 Architecture Domestic Life

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