Bloomington Restorations, Inc. is a private not-for-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Bloomington and Monroe County's historic architecture and old neighborhoods.


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Hinkle-Garton Farmstead


 

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Bloomington Restorations, Inc.


BRI's home named to National Register  

Historic houses offered for restoration 

Yard sale and quilt exhibit at Daisy Day

 


 BRI's home named to National Register        

 

BRI's headquarters, the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead, is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

The listing comes 16 years after Daisy Hinkle Garton had her beloved family farm placed on the State Register, prompted by a proposal to widen East Tenth Street that would have destroyed trees and encroached into her front yard.

Cynthia Brubaker, the consultant who prepared the state nomination 16 years ago, did the National Register nomination. The work was funded primarily by the Bloomington Historic Preservation Commission. Brubaker is a long-time BRI member and former board president.

The farmstead dates to 1886. John Henry and Laura Ann Rawlins Hinkle built their Queen Anne style home in 1892. The Hinkle’s built a smaller, Free Classic style home on the property around 1910 for their son, Henry Ernest Hinkle, and his wife, Bertha Elizabeth Rogers. Three children resulted from this union with two surviving into adulthood, Daisy Estella Hinkle and John Henry Hinkle, Jr.

It was Daisy and her husband, Joseph Nathan Garton, who were the last residents of the property prior to it passing to BRI in December 2004.

The site received its National Register listing based on two areas of significance: its architectural and agricultural contributions. As an intact group of farm buildings from the Queen Anne era, it is the only such group in Bloomington and one of the few in Monroe County.  Now 11.08 acres, the farmstead includes a Midwest three-portal dairy barn, grain crib, early garage, and blacksmith shed. It is surrounded by mature trees and plantings, including remnants of Henry’s popular flower business. At its peak, the farmstead had 82 acres.

BRI’s offices occupy the second floor of the main house. The first floor has museum exhibit and public program space. The space can be rented for meetings and special events. BRI members receive a 10% discount on rentals. 

Re-creation of the historic vegetable garden and reclamation of the remaining flower beds are some of the projects underway outside. The house is open for visitation the last Saturday of each month from 1-4 p.m. For more information call BRI at 812-336-0909 or see the farmstead pages of this website.

The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s list of cultural resources worthy of historic preservation. 

 


Historic houses offered for restoration        

1409 S. Rogers St., Bloomington

715 W. Vine St., Ellettsville

Looking for a project? Want a house close to downtown? Then BRI has a home for you. BRI stepped in to preserve these houses, and is offering them for sale to buyers who will agree to restore them. The house at 1409 S. Rogers is available for $64,900. The house at 715 W. Vine is $59,990. For more information on these or other houses, click on the Historic Properties for Sale: Revolving Fund link. Or call Steve Wyatt at 336-0909.


Daisy Day April 26 features yard sale

The community is invited to the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead for the third annual Daisy Day on Saturday, April 26. The site opens at 9 a.m. with a fund-raising yard sale on the grounds. Continuing until 4 p.m. in the main house is the ongoing quilt exhibit, "Family Patterns of Tradition," 32 quilts made by two generations of the Brown family from Butler and Ohio counties, Kentucky. The farmstead is free and open to the public and is located at 2920 E. Tenth St. in Bloomington. It is owned and operated by Bloomington Restorations, Inc., the historic preservation non-profit for Monroe County.


Bloomington Restorations, Inc.

2920 E. Tenth St., Bloomington, IN 47408
812-336-0909

bri@BloomingtonRestorations.org

 

Mission Statement
Since 1976, Bloomington Restorations, Inc. (BRI), has been committed to preserving the heritage of Bloomington and Monroe County by saving and protecting buildings and places of architectural and historical significance. BRI demonstrates its commitment to the historic character and integrity of our community by restoring local sites and structures to provide affordable housing, providing financial and technical support for preservation efforts, educating the public, and advocating the preservation, adaptation, and revitalization of the area's landmarks.