Richardville House
Encyclopedia
The Chief Jean Baptiste de Richardville House was built near Fort Wayne
, Indiana in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas
, it is believed to be only one of three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River
.
, the principal chief of the Miami from 1812 until his death in 1841, signed several treaties
with the United States
government as it negotiated with the Miami tribe
for its eventual removal as a recognized nation. Lands were reserved for Richardville's personal use, and $600 was provided for the building of a home.
The Richardville Houses' architecture reflects both Greek Revival and Federalist styles
. When completed, using both the government's and his own funds, Richardville's Fort Wayne home was the equal in style and grandeur of the homes of prominent white residents of the area at that time. The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society acquired the house in 1991 with money donated by the Foellinger Foundation and the Ropchan Foundation.
Farther south and west lies the trading and meeting place where the Wabash River
and the Wabash and Erie Canal
intersected in Huntington
, Indiana. Here is another home where Richardville lived - a white, two-story Greek Revival filled with period furniture and portraits of the owners. This is also the site where treaties were signed. Today, this house forms the centerpiece of the historic The Forks Of The Wabash
park.
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, Indiana in 1827. Subsidized by the U.S. federal government through the 1826 Treaty of Mississinwas
Treaty of Mississinwas
The Treaty of Mississiniwas or the Treaty of Mississinewa is an 1826 treaty between the United States and the Miami tribe.-Terms:After negotiations with the Pottawatomie to build the Michigan Road through Indiana by James B...
, it is believed to be only one of three treaty houses built east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
History
Chief RichardvilleChief Jean Baptiste de Richardville
Jean Baptiste de Richardville , also known as Peshewa and Joseph Richardville, was the last chief of a united Miami tribe.-Biography:...
, the principal chief of the Miami from 1812 until his death in 1841, signed several treaties
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government as it negotiated with the Miami tribe
Miami tribe
The Miami are a Native American nation originally found in what is now Indiana, southwest Michigan, and western Ohio. The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma is the only federally recognized tribe of Miami Indians in the United States...
for its eventual removal as a recognized nation. Lands were reserved for Richardville's personal use, and $600 was provided for the building of a home.
The Richardville Houses' architecture reflects both Greek Revival and Federalist styles
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
. When completed, using both the government's and his own funds, Richardville's Fort Wayne home was the equal in style and grandeur of the homes of prominent white residents of the area at that time. The Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society acquired the house in 1991 with money donated by the Foellinger Foundation and the Ropchan Foundation.
Farther south and west lies the trading and meeting place where the Wabash River
Wabash River
The Wabash River is a river in the Midwestern United States that flows southwest from northwest Ohio near Fort Recovery across northern Indiana to southern Illinois, where it forms the Illinois-Indiana border before draining into the Ohio River, of which it is the largest northern tributary...
and the Wabash and Erie Canal
Wabash and Erie Canal
The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico...
intersected in Huntington
Huntington, Indiana
Huntington, known as the "Lime City", is a small city in and the county seat of Huntington County, Indiana, United States. It is in Huntington Township and Union Township...
, Indiana. Here is another home where Richardville lived - a white, two-story Greek Revival filled with period furniture and portraits of the owners. This is also the site where treaties were signed. Today, this house forms the centerpiece of the historic The Forks Of The Wabash
The Forks Of The Wabash
Historic Forks of the Wabash is a historic museum park near Huntington, Indiana, that features site several historic buildings, trails and remnants of the Wabash and Erie Canal...
park.