Traditionally, in grade school, usually in 5th grade, central Indiana students visit The Benjamin Harrison Home. I’ve been inside this home three times. Once as a student, once as a teacher, and once as a parent chaperon. I’m sorry to have failed you, but I never thought I would be blogging about doors on something called an internet so I never took pictures.
When I was roaming around 14th & Delaware, I snapped some pics of the exterior, which should give you an indication of its 20,000 square-foot grandness.
you like that this photo is grainy. without the grainy bits, you can’t see the detail.
Over here in my neck of the woods, we still have Ft. Benjamin Harrison. It’s no longer a closed base with a proper garrison, but we still have what local civilians call “the finance center” (what military calls DFAS.)
There are plenty of things named after Harrison here in Indianapolis, most of them in that area. President Harrison was from Ohio, but he lived in Indianapolis most of his life and served as a senator here. He was the grandson of William Henry Harrison (9th POTUS.)
Benjamin Harrison (1833-1901) was not as beloved as a president as he was a soldier. It was a strange time, then, when Harrison, a Republican, did crazy things like preserve and declare National Forests, fight for pensions and disability payments to veterans and their families to the point of nearly bankrupting the treasury, and in State of the Union speeches, said things like black Americans should be given the right to vote and that Indians should be represented in Congress.
His doors and his home were beautiful, too.
#ThursdayDoors is part of an inspired post series run by Norm Frampton. To view other interesting doors, click the link and see what others are posting today.
joeyfullystated 
I never saw this house until I was an adult and took a tour with my kids. I guess my 5th grade was incomplete. It is a marvelous home. I think everyone should have a look see;no matter when.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you go to the statehouse in elementary school?
I’d like to take my kids when they’re older. Maybe when they’re studying American history WHICH THEY NO LONGER START IN GRADE SCHOOL. >.<
LikeLiked by 1 person
We went to the old Art Museum,which was in the Herron Building. That is the only school trip we took;that I recall. I know. The fact that American History is no longer taught in grade school is very wrong. The fact that so many college students have no idea what the function of the Supreme Court is or have even a rudimentary understanding of our Constitution is appalling. Yet they all seem to know about the Kardasians. Well I digress. I think the Statehouse is another good place to visit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree and I agree.
It’s because of standardized tests. My kids have been saying this since the boy one was in grade school, “If it’s not on ISTEP, we don’t study it.” Wretched. What little sense of history they have is gained from home and possibly literature. It’s frightening, really.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree. That is criminal. Who creates the ISTEP test and the material on it?
LikeLike
No idea, really. Some group of bureaucrats? Since so much of funding, including salaries, is dependent on the scores, it can’t be a particularly beneficent group, now can it?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think that is the core to a lot of our problems,especially in education. A room full of un-named knucleheads making decisions based on funding and personal gain and not the needs of the kids. If these folks are so proud of the job they are doing why don’t they name themselves. I am sure more than a few parents would be happy to thank them.
LikeLike
I suppose I could Google them, but I really don’t care. I wish we had a movement to opt out here. I’m not going to organize one, but I would certainly join. I feel badly for the teachers, but they’re so pressured, they end up stressing-out the kids. And these tests aren’t particularly good anyway. My kids are A students and they get varying Pass+ scores on the tests — some of which they end up passing by a degree I feel is not good enough, and then I remember it’s not the fault of my kids or their teachers, but rather that someone doesn’t want to pay out.
When we were in Georgia, the DOD had their own testing, but it was based on the curriculum. DOD teachers are better teachers, not because of the DOD, but because the standards are high and the curriculum matches the test. Here, we literally have double standards for teachers and students.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I have not been involved in the system for many years so I don’t have anything pertinent to add;so I will just say this. Good luck.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
If I knew any of that history about Harrison I have forgotten it. He was quite progressive for his time. And to the point here, lived in a beautiful home. Interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
What an interesting history. I love the grandeur of the arched and carved wooden doors–just beautiful!
Have a wonderful day! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You too, thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
So much grandeur in your Indiana doors. This one is beautiful, and the history that comes with it…nice post, Joey. ❤️
LikeLike
Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the history lesson, that was pretty cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s one of those lovely estate homes and looks beautifully preserved.
That Benjamin Harrison did have a lot of crazy ideas, didn’t he? 😉 Sounds like the US could use a guy like that again … well except for maybe the bankrupting part 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I already mentioned in a reaction on Dan Antion’s #thursdaydoors the great thing from this challenge is what I learn about other countries and their history. Just love the stories 🙂 Thanks for sharing these great doors of a (forgotten) hero.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I enjoy that part, too, thanks 🙂
LikeLike
I wish our current group of Republicans was as “crazy” as Harrison!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s a beautiful house with some gorgeous doors. I don’t know much about President Harrison, but what I learned here today, I like. Such talk would never get him elected in the current election. I guess that’s an indication of how much progress we’ve made 😦
I love how we start out to get a door photo and end up learning something we either never knew or forgot during the summer between 5th and 6th grade. I also strongly relate to not knowing that I should have taken more door photos as I traveled.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another door that could suggest sinister happenings behind it. That house would make a great setting for a dark story. Boo!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You should be a writer, Carrie, with that imagination of yours 😉 Haha, oh I so funny today. And by funny, I mean tired. 😛
The only part that’s scary to me is the idea of managing such a huge estate!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, that IS scary.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like the doors but really appreciate the history refresher. So, what did you teach? I’m trying to get a visual. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I taught kindergarten, although that was not my subject/license. Then I subbed. Mostly long-term over medical leaves, in English — because that’s what my license was for, but I did quite a bit otherwise as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Interesting tidbit. I’m sitting here smiling thinking you probably had to hold back a few words for that kindergarten or English crowd. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well I have a proper person/fake bitch I can present when I need to, or you know, when I’m being paid 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice door indeed and I loved your accompanying not-so-subliminal message about the image quality 😉
As for your President Harrison, he sounds like a real progressive…. *wispering so no on else hears* socialist – there I said it!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It looks much better in a small version on my phone — which you’ll see on IG. But on the PC, it doesn’t look so great…
Riiiight? Makes you wonder how far that political pendulum has swung in the last 100 years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice house and doors, Joey. I’m with Norm, President Harrison sounds like a pretty decent person – for a politician.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Indeed he does, although people report he was icy personally…he HAD been a general…
Glad you liked them 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful house and nice reading about the history.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love visiting historic sites and homes. My whole family are history nuts, in fact my father-in-law, two careers ago, taught US History. This home looks very cool. I would like to see some of the interior (shame on you 😉). We are fortunate, in this area, the school students take class trips to Washington DC and visit all the historic sites there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Kids here take DC trips in 8th grade — all in one weekend — it’s a bit intense! 😛 It’d be nice to be conveniently located as you are, spread it out a bit!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a good area for trips. They go to NYC and Baltimore and of course Philadelphia. Do the kids in your area do a big senior trip to Disney like they do here?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not via the school, no. But sometimes just the band/orchestra/team does stuff like that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice to learn those tidbits about the man. I feel like I’m losing history at a pretty fast rate. Or maybe I never had it down.
LikeLike
Guess that makes me a crazy Republican/conservative, too. 🙂 As far as testing goes, the more testing required, the more teaching to the test, the less time to really learn things, the more subjects such as art, music, and PE get pushed to the side, the less learned, the less growth of the students. 🙂 One reason we home schooled our girls. I did teach PE and health for four years at a Lutheran high school prior to getting married and loved every minute of it. That was before all the testing insanity, though.
janet
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an incredibly stunning home! You know I’d be all over that if I get to come and visit Indy! No wonder he wasn’t popular – a Republican that actually promoted civil rights, the environment and other liberal ideas? Too funny. My how things change.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This Benjamin Harrison home is very pretty. I like historical houses and the grainy picture sometimes does help to emphasize details, Joey. I am just learning which photos to include by instinct. Someday, I would like to take a photography course. 🙂
LikeLike
He must have been quite a guy your Mr Harrison! Splendid house too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
A truly beautiful house!
LikeLiked by 1 person