The Statesman | January - April 2023

RESIDENTIAL TO PRESIDENTIAL 150 Years WITH THE HARRISONS

BOARD OF Directors

Brian Hewitt, Chair

Donna Oklak, Vice Chair

Jeremy Davis, Treasurer Morgan Snyder, Secretary Carolyn E. Anker, Past Chair

Robert Altice

Teresa A. Bennett

Lisa Boncosky

Latoya Botteron

Lloyd Crowe

Rosemary Dorsa

Erin Dorsey

Eric J. Holcomb Konye Ori Rod Taylor

EX-OFFICIO

Ellis Hall, Volunteer Association president

PRESIDENT & CEO Charles A. Hyde

HONORARY DIRECTORS

Robert H. Everitt

STAFF

Thomas P. Ewbank

Gracia Johnson Floyd

George Geib

Stan C. Hurt

Jamia Jasper Jacobsen

Thomas King

James Kirsch

James Morris

Kimball Harrison Morsman Susanne S. Ridlen

ADVISORY CABINET

William A. Browne, Jr.

Daniel F. Evans

J. Scott Keller

John L. Krauss

Howard “HJ” Lacy IV Elizabeth Mann Andrea Neal

Peter Rusthoven David Sease

Kameelah Shaheed-Diallo

Ed Simcox

James Wallis Michael W. Wells

JENNIFER CAPPS

IFEOMA AKOBI

Morsman Family Presidential Fellow for Advancement

DANIEL BENNETT Experience Manager

BETHANY GOSEWEHR VP of Development

MOLLY BEAUSIR Russell and Penny Fortune Project POTUS Presidential Fellow

ROGER HARDIG VP of Education

JENNIFER HODGE Gracia Johnson Floyd Presidential Fellow

JAYNE HOFFMAN Weekend Supervisor

LINDSEY BECKLEY Special Events & Marketing Manager

CARCHELLE BETHEL Director of Finance and Operations

SHANÉT WALLACE Special Events Coordinator

ALEXIS PRICE

JULIO ZEPEDA Facilities Manager

GARY LARREATEGUI Weekend Supervisor

JAMIE MITTMAN Volunteer & Relationship Coordinator

CHARLES A. HYDE President & CEO

FROM THE President

#23 for 2023!

The new year is finally here, and we’re excited about the possibilities ahead for the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

As the museum is now ranked in the “Top 5 Things to Do” in Indianapolis by users on TripAdvisor (and we have stayed at #1 for 10 of the past 12 months!), we see enormous potential for the ways in which we continue to contribute to our community’s vital civic, historical, and cultural life.

And as we prepare for the “Grand Inaugural Celebration” on May 18th, 2023 with the official dedication of the Old Glory, New Vision capital campaign improvements, we’ll be ready to share with the wide world the good work we’ve been doing (together!) these past three years.

What makes us so excited about 2023? We believe that we’re:

• ONE OF A KIND: Our nationally-significant collection of over 10,000 items is unique and has intrinsic historical and cultural value;

• LOCALLY RELEVANT, NATIONALLY SIGNIFICANT: With our expanded amenities on grounds and in the Harrison residence, we have demonstrated potential for universal appeal;

• NOT MISTRUSTING THE FUTURE: Inspired by the 23rd president’s inaugural remark that he “would not mistrust the future”, the Presidential Site’s signature programming helps transcend generational differences;

• 23 IN 3D: We’ve invested in making our collection more widely accessible onsite and online, with opportunity for national and global scholarship;

• CENTURY PROJECT: Between the National Historic Landmark Harrison residence and iconic additions in the Johnson-Floyd Family Presidential Commons, the Presidential Site has underscored its timeless and enduring qualities;

Add to all of this our respect for the past, relevancy to the present, and vision for the future, and we’re confident that our rally cry for the year ahead, “#23 for 2023” will resound loud and clear.

So what’s first? Learn more in this issue about the new exhibit, “Residential to Presidential: 150 Years with the Harrisons”, opening January 26th, join us for Hoosier H’Arts on February 11th, and mark your calendars for an exciting array of spring programs, events, and exhibits, from the new 3rd floor special exhibit gallery’s “Pan-American: Bonds of Prosperity and Peace” to the Presidential Egg Roll.

We have an action-packed year planned for you, and can’t wait to get started. Thank you for your involvement, encouragement and…when someone asks you who you support, just tell them “#23 for 2023”!

Very sincerely yours,

A. Hyde, President & CEO

Charles

Cover image adapted from original photo by Susan Fleck

Calendar

JANUARY 2023

COFFEE WITH THE CURATOR FRIDAY, JANUARY 6 8:30 AM–9:00 AM

EXHIBIT OPENING: RESIDENTIAL TO PRESIDENTIAL THURSDAY, JANUARY 26 5:30–7:00 PM

FEBRUARY 2023

COFFEE WITH THE CURATOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3 8:30 AM–9:00 AM HOOSIER (H)ARTS SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11 . 7:00–8:30 PM LIVE! PRESIDENT’S DAY MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 . 10:00 AM–3:00 PM

MARCH 2023

COFFEE WITH THE CURATOR FRIDAY, MARCH 3 8:30AM–9:00AM

EXHIBIT OPENING: PAN AMERICAN THURSDAY, MARCH 23 . 5:30–7:00PM

APRIL 2023

PRESIDENTIAL EGG ROLL SATURDAY, APRIL 1 . 9:00AM–10:30AM

COFFEE WITH THE CURATOR FRIDAY, APRIL 7 . 8:30AM–9:00AM

CANDLELIGHT THEATRE APRIL 15–16, APRIL 21–23, APRIL 28–29 Presented by Candlelight Theatre* Performances start at 6pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2pm on Sundays

FIRST FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH 8:30AM – 9AM (VIEW ON FACEBOOK LIVE AT 8:45AM)

Free for members & guests | $6 general admission

Join us for a stimulating 30 minutes at our monthly First Friday event! While you enjoy coffee and pastries, you will get a chance to explore some of the most interesting, amazing and unexpected Presidential Site collection items. We promise to satisfy your curiosity and have you on your way to the office by 9am sharp! Upcoming themes include:

January 6

Residential to Presidential (onsite event & simulcast on Facebook Live)

. February 3 Civil War Love Letters of Benjamin and Caroline Harrison (100th Program!) (onsite event & simulcast on Facebook Live)

. March 3 Pan American (onsite event & simulcast on Facebook Live)

April 7

Letters to Grandpa – Baby McKee Letters (onsite event & simulcast on Facebook Live)

Space is limited so reservations are recommended. Find out more by calling 317.631.1888 or visiting PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org.

Hoosier Law Experts Denounce

SCOTUS Dobbs Leak Leslie Bonilla Muñez

“Hoosier law experts on Wednesday denounced the May leak of the draft United States Supreme Court decision that in June sent the question of abortion back to states, during an event focused on the nation’s highest court, hosted by the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

“It was such a shocking, shocking breach of trust,” said Notre Dame Law School professor Nicole Stelle Garnett, who clerked for Associate Justice Clarence Thomas in the late 90s.

Garnett worried the leaked document would “forever change the nature of the law clerks’ relationships with the justices for whom they work and with each other.” The justices, she said, circulate draft opinions to allow fellow justices to sign on, suggest changes and otherwise deliberate decisions.

Solicitor General Thomas M. Fisher, who manages the State’s SCOTUS docket and leads Indiana’s highprofile litigation, called the leak “an attack on the integrity of the process of the court.”

“In society today, we see too many efforts to try to tear down our esteemed institutions,” Fisher added.”

Read more: https://indianacapital chronicle.com/author/leslie-bonillamuniz/.

The Biden-Trump Rematch, in Many Ways, Has Already Begun

Matt Viser

“The closest parallel to a potential BidenTrump rerun may be the 1892 race between Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Cleveland served one term as president before being unseated by Harrison, then he tried to get his old job back, and ultimately succeeded.

Their second campaign focused largely on the same issues that had dominated the first, such as tariff rates, and it hardly electrified the nation. “No one showed much interest in the result,” historian Henry Adams wrote.

Despite lively political cartoons — some referring to an out-of-wedlock child that Cleveland had allegedly fathered — the candidates lacked the mutual loathing of Biden and Trump. “Between the two candidates themselves, there didn’t appear to be animosity,” said Charles Hyde, president and CEO of the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site.

In fact, when Harrison was sworn into office in 1889, photos show the recently ousted Cleveland holding an umbrella over his head as the new president took the oath of office. A few years later — after Harrison defeated Cleveland, and Cleveland in turn defeated Harrison — some encouraged Harrison to run yet again in 1896, for a third head-to-head match.

“Harrison gave it some brief consideration, and then dispelled any notion he’d run again,” Hyde said. “After he lost the election of 1892, he said he felt like a man released from prison.””

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/ politics/2022/09/26/biden-trump-rematch/.

RESIDENTIAL TO PRESIDENTIAL 150 Years WITH THE

HARRISONS

From the house’s initial construction in 1874-1875 to today, the Harrison home has taken a journey from residential to presidential. The site has served as a museum in some capacity since 1937, when the Arthur Jordan Foundation purchased the house and its contents from Benjamin’s second wife, Mary Lord, and Benjamin’s heirs to make the house a memorial to Harrison and a dormitory for the Jordan Conservatory of Music students.

The annual exhibit opening in January 2023 will showcase the history of the Harrison home from its construction to today. It explores how the site exemplified Victorian tastes in architecture and decorated interiors. You will learn about the transition of the house from a comfortable family home into a museum and dormitory. Through photographs, artifacts, and stories, you can admire the restoration efforts throughout the decades to bring the house back to its appearance from 1874–1901, which is also the timeframe known as its “period of significance.” These restoration efforts are ongoing, to make the home and the experience for the visitor as authentic as possible! Since its construction, the Harrison

house has been welcoming people through its doors and this legacy has continued thanks to the continuous preservation efforts of the people connected to the home.

Pieces of the home preserved from different renovation and restoration efforts will be displayed in the exhibit. With over 150 years of changes, pinpointing specific restoration choices can be difficult. It is down to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site team and our partners to determine the wallpapers, paint colors, and even the light fixtures to use in the house, using historical (and scientific) evidence. Visitors will also have the opportunity to learn about the different people connected to the home throughout the years, such as the museum’s first curator, Ruth Woodworth. She was also the housemother for the students living in the house when it was a dormitory until 1966. In addition to the restoration efforts and the people who helped make the Site what it is, the home’s museum journey and major milestones will be examined. From campaigns to weddings, from cozy nights by the fireplace to exciting naturalization ceremonies on the lawn, the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site has been the location of bringing people together for good times and enduring memories for nearly 150 years and we look forward to sharing those stories with our visitors.

By Madeline Griem, 2022/23 New Century Curatorial Fellow

Thank You!

Partners and Collaborators

Residential to Presidential: 150 Years with the Harrisons is a collaborative effort between the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site and the IUPUI Museum Studies Program. Our New Century Curator initiative seeks to afford innovative opportunities for museum studies students. This exhibition was made possible with the assistance of many people and organizations. Curatorial intern, Madeline Griem, thanks the following for their assistance.

Thank you to the Collections & Exhibitions Committee:

Ellis Hall

Whitney Ball

Erin Dorsey

Scott Keller

Sue Ridlen

Diane Crabtree

Susie Sogard

Michael McQuillen Jennifer Capps Lindsey Beckley Roger Hardig

Thank you to the staff at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site:

Thank you to the faculty of the Museums Studies Program at IUPUI: Laura Holzman, Ph.D. Lois Silverman, Ph.D. Holly Cusack-McVeigh, Ph.D Elizabeth Kryder-Reid, Ph.D.

Thank you to our lending partners and institutions:

The Indiana State Library Jeanie Pike Hornung (Mrs. Jeffrey) Kay Porter Pike

Jennifer Capps, VP of Curatorship & Exhibition

Charles Hyde, President & CEO

Lindsey Beckley, Special Events & Marketing Manager

Julio Zepeda, Facilities Manager

Thank you to our Presidential Exhibit Sponsors

Brandt Construction, Inc. RATIO Architects The Verdius Group

Not Any Steps Backward:

Frederick Douglass and Benjamin Harrison

By Jack Kaufman-McKivigan, Director of the Frederick Douglass Papers Mary O’Brien Gibson Professor of History, Africana Studies, IUPUI

Frederick Douglass was thrilled by Benjamin Harrison’s election as president in 1888.

The one-time Maryland slave who had run away and won world-renown as a writer and had loyally supported every Republican presidential candidate since Abraham Lincoln. Always placing the protection of newly won African American political and civil rights as his top political priority, he had moved to Washington, D.C. after the Civil War to lobby Republicans during Reconstruction. He applauded the passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment during the administration of Ulysses S. Grant as evidence that the Republican Party had honored its commitment to the former slaves. Douglass had been deeply disappointed, however, with the performance of Republican presidents Rutherford B, Hayes, James A, Garfield, and Chester Arthur who allowed Southern Reconstruction to collapse and African American rights to ebb. He blamed the defeat of Republican candidate James G. Blaine by Democrat Grover Cleveland in 1884 primarily on his party’s turn away from concern for African Africans toward promoting the growth of the nation’s industries. During Cleveland’s term, Douglass witnessed increases in assaults on Black people as voters and as workers and federal inaction toward the atrocities associated with lynching. Despite after reached seventy years of age, Douglass campaigned vigorously for Cleveland’s defeat in 1888 and hoped that the Republican Party would again champion equal rights for all citizens.

Douglass went to the Republican convention in Chicago in June 1888 supporting Senator John Sherman of Ohio for president but warmly accepted the nomination of Hoosier Harrison with whom he was long acquainted. Douglass had observed Harrison’s political career first-hand during campaign tours of Indiana on behalf of Republican candidates in 1876, 1880, and 1884. He had seen Harrison while a candidate for Indiana governor in 1876 defend Reconstruction as “a covenant with our God to save these people from the dastardly outrages that their rebel masters are committing upon them in the South.” In his term in the U.S. Senate (1881-1887), Harrison also distinguished himself as a supporter of the unsuccessful effort to provide federal aid for African American education. These words and action convinced Douglass that Harrison would reverse the Republican Party’s decreasing interest in African American rights…

WANT TO LEARN MORE? Read the full article at PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org/learn/ benjamin-harrison/ (or scan the adjacent QR code with the camera of your smart device).

Future Presidents of America™ alumni joined almost 250 prominent citizens in attending the 17th Annual Mary Tucker Jasper Speaker Series: A Conversation with Mo Rocca at the Indiana Roof Ballroom on November 10, 2022.

Pictured (left to right): Lal Tluang, Kye Benford, Jayna Ndiaye, Maggie Boncosky, Mo Rocca, Charlie Hyde, Gavin Lindsay, Zoey Kryder, Olivia Welty, Marlee Scott, Adeline Lindsay, Mariam Jalloh, Maggie Sears

NOMINATION DAY

JUNE 25, 1888

On the evening of June 25th, thousands of neighbors and residents of the city congregated before the Harrison residence to congratulate General Harrison on receiving the nomination for the presidency. In response to demands from the crowd for a speech, his remarks included this concluding sentiment:

DID YOU

Know?

In May 1868, Benjamin Harrison purchased lots 24 and 25 in the Martindale Addition. A mortgage to be paid in four years was signed by Fletcher Bank. In February 1874, Harrison hired H. T. Brandt to design a home for the lots. By the numbers cost and facts about the house:

Land (two lots) $4200.00

Excavation & Masonry $3035.58

Brickwork $4473.98

Carpentry, Wood work, etc. $2577.93

Contractor & Builder $5777.05

Roofing Material $1400.00

Plaster $1492.98

Plumber, Light Fixtures, etc. $1610.81

Hardware $ 594.59

Painting $1181.30

Paving (bricks) and walks $ 346.30

Grading & Landscaping $ 617.97

Materials Used in constructing the house:

Bricks 380,552

Cellar windows 18

Plaster (walls only) 3637 yards

Gas pipe 670 lineal feet

Tin furnace pipe 86 feet

Water pipe 312 feet of 2" pipe Pavement for Walks 93 yards Sodding 1675 2/3 yards

Trees 2 soft maples, 4 sugar maples, 1 elm, 1 small oak

Wood front fence 153 feet

Side fences 500 feet

“We will be here together and my house will always open its doors gladly to any of you when you may desire to see me.”

in Time

Pan American Relations

DECEMBER 2, 1823

President James Monroe delivered the ‘Monroe Doctrine’ in an annual message to Congress.

1826

The Congress of Panama was organized by Simón Bolívar, who proposed creating a league of American republics. President John Quincy Adams and Secretary of State Henry Clay wanted the US to attend, but one US delegate died enroute and the second did not arrive in time.

1910

The fourth International Conference of American States changed the name of the organization to the Union of American Republics and the Bureau became the Pan American Union. The Pan American Union Building was constructed in 1910, on Constitution Avenue, Northwest, Washington, D.C.

MAY 3, 1923

The 1923 Pan American Treaty was signed at the Fifth International Conference of American States in Santiago, Chile. The treaty was a step in a series of international efforts taken to prevent future wars, which culminated at the Kellogg-Briand Pact.

1888

The term “Pan-Americanism” was coined by the New York Evening Post

OCTOBER 2, 1889 – APRIL 1890

First International Conference of American States is held in the United States with opening proceedings in Washington, D.C. A tour of the states followed. President Benjamin Harrison fully backed the conference supporting Secretary of State James G. Blaine. This is the first meeting where the American States decided to meet periodically. Eighteen American States took part in that Conference with 27 delegates. The main goal was “purpose of discussing and recommending for adoption to their respective Governments some plan of arbitration for the settlement of disagreements and disputes…”

1948

The ninth International Conference of American States was held in Bogotá, Colombia, and saw the founding of the Organization of American States (OAS) as it stands today. The charter was signed by 21 American countries on April 30, 1948 (in effect since December 1951). The meeting also adopted the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, the world’s first general human rights declaration.

1959

First Inter-American Commission on Human Rights created

COMING SOON:

Project POTUS 2023

Middle schoolers: The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site needs your help. The second annual Project POTUS competition will open for submissions starting Presidents Day, February 20, 2023. This program from the Presidential Site will allow middle schoolers nationally to take on the challenge of producing a video, 60 seconds or less, about a POTUS of their choice.

2022’s contest saw north of 250 videos submitted–38 projects, and over 50 students won prizes. The grand prize of $500 was awarded to Batchelor Middle School student Oscar McDermott-Sipe from Bloomington,

IN for a witty portrayal of underknown POTUS #13, Millard Fillmore. Other student winners were from Virginia, Kentucky, California, and Benjamin Harrison’s own hometown–Indianapolis. View winning videos from 2022 at ProjectPOTUS.org

In 2023, Project POTUS HQ looks forward to welcoming back past Citizen Jurors and welcoming new jury members to help allocate over $5000 worth of awards for outstanding middle school scholarship in presidential history. Middle school teachers who visit ProjectPOTUS.org and use the form to indicate that their classroom will

participate in 2023 can score a free top-secret classroom gift from the Presidential Site. A full list of awards students can earn in the contest can also be found at ProjectPOTUS.org.

Members of the public who are interested in participating in Project POTUS can contact Molly Beausir at mbeausir@bhpsite.org to inquire about the Citizen Juror role, and stay tuned for information about how you can vote on exceptional student projects for the Citizens’ Elect Award in May 2023.

TOP SECRET:

Project POTUS 2023 Preview:

The second annual national Project POTUS contest, an opportunity for middle schoolers to submit a video of 60 seconds or less about a POTUS of their choice, will commence on Presidents Day, February 20, 2023. Once again, students will have the opportunity to compete for 45 prizes - 1 per president, with the grand prize winner receiving an award of $500. Mission details can be found at ProjectPOTUS.org.

Special Thanks!

We are grateful to the following institution funders and event sponsors for supporting the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site in 2022:

Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation Anonymous

April and Rick Sasso

Arbutus Garden Club Art to Remember Arthur Jordan Foundation

Baird Private Wealth Management

Barnes & Thornburg

Bedel Financial Group

Books Bourbon & Bacon

Brandt Construction, Inc.

Christel DeHaan Family Foundation

Christopher & Taylor Commercial Artisan

Eli Lilly & Company Foundation

Emswiller, Williams, Noland & Clarke, LLC

Eskenazi Health Foundation F.C. Tucker Company

FORVIS

Frost Brown Todd LLC

Garfield Park Master Gardeners Association

Gracia E. Johnson Foundation

Gregory & Appel Insurance

Hewitt Law & Mediation

High Alpha Howard J. Lacy IV

Image Builders/Rowland Printing

Indiana DAR, Inc.

Indiana Humanities

Indiana University

Indianapolis Garden Club Indy Arts Council

Ingrid and Kimball Harrison Morsman

Intend Indiana INvets

Dr. Jamia Jasper Jacobsen

Kroger

Lacy Foundation

Lilly Endowment Inc.

Lisa and Bill Boncosky

Louis S. Hensley Jr. Family Foundation

Lumatic Imagery

Martha O’Connor & Greg Henneke

Meridian Foundation

Molly & Myrtle

National Endowment for the Humanities

Nicholas H. Noyes, Jr. Memorial Foundation

Old National Bank

Peine Engineering

Peter Rusthoven and Erin Roth Plews Shadley Racher & Braun PLOW Digital LLC

Building a Legacy begins with YOU

Polis Collaborative Prime 47

R.B. Annis Educational Foundation

RATIO Architects

REI Real Estate Services, LLC Russell Fortune Scott Keller

Sease Gerig & Associates

Somerset CPAs Stan and Sandy Hurt

Summer Youth Program Fund

Sun King Brewing Co. LLC

Tea’s Me

The Dorsey Foundation, Inc.

The Lonnemann Team with F.C. Tucker

The National Bank of Indianapolis

The Penrod Society

The Policy Circle

Tilson HR

Tinker Coffee Company Veridus Group

Visit Indy WFYI

White House Historical Association

Willkie & Selm Families Wing Fund for the Arts & Humanities

Our ability to meet our mission is dependent on the generosity of friends and supporters. An increased endowment is imperative in providing lasting sustainability.

ENDOW

BENJAMIN HARRISON PRESIDENTIAL SITE WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN.

Through a charitable bequest in your will or living trust, you can ensure that the Presidential Site will continue to share the life stories, arts and culture of an American President to increase public participation in the American system of self-government. This thoughtful act may result in the most lasting one-time gift you ever make to the Presidential Site.

WE WANT TO THANK YOU NOW. Our 1888 Legacy Society provides lifetime recognition to donors who have included the Presidential Site in their estate plan. All you need do is tell the Presidential Site that your plan is in place and that you have no objection to being publicly listed in the 1888 Legacy Society honor roll. If you have questions or would like more information on giving options, contact Bethany Gosewehr, Vice President of Development at (317) 631-1888 or bgosewehr@bhpsite.org

KONYE ORI DIRECTOR & SERVICE LINE ADMINISTRATOR OF WOMEN’S HEALTH AT IU HEALTH PHYSICIANS

Meet Board Member and new Education Committee Chair, Konye Ori

Q: What draws you to roles in education, such as your past directorship of the Eisenhower Institute for Diplomacy and Conflict Resolution?

Konye: Education is the energy that keeps the motor of human progress running. I am drawn to opportunities that offer people the tools they need to engage with information, navigate the maze of disinformation, elevate the human experience, and empower communities.

Q: What kind of lessons do you think can be taken from the life of a past president such as Benjamin Harrison?

Thank you to the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site Education Committee, which includes members Lisa Boncosky, H.J. Lacy, Andrea Neal, Paige Kidwell, and committee chair Konye Ori. Your efforts help advance the mission of the Presidential Site and expand the impact of education offerings from the home of the Hoosier President.

Konye: From the little I know about Benjamin Harrison, we can all learn lessons on truth, justice, and hope from his historicity.

Q: In the past, the Presidential Site has been grateful to have you as a guest speaker for the Future Presidents of America program. What’s your impression of the next generation and future community leaders who have participated in the program?

Konye: I have met the brightest, kindest, and most dedicated young leaders at the Future Presidents of America program. I have no doubt these young leaders will take over the baton for their generation and deliver a better world. I try to take photos and autographs now because they’ll be too busy being great community, national, and global leaders tomorrow.

Q: Is there a U.S. president in particular who fascinates you?

Konye: Several – President Harrison, President Roosevelt, Present Kennedy, and President Obama

Q: What’s one objective you hope to accomplish alongside Education committee members at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site?

Konye: To support and help realize the growth of our student engagement programs from Future Presidents of America to Project POTUS to site visits and tours.

As the temperature drops and the new year approaches, memories from the year that passed us so quickly are at the forefront of our thoughts. The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site volunteers are elated to share memories from this year because 2022 was filled with reflection and rejuvenation.

Just two years after the height of the pandemic, our volunteers faced another challenge, but thanks to their passion and determination, they faced it head-on. To fulfill our promises made during our Old Glory, New Vision capital campaign, the Presidential Site has turned on its head, trying to restore the museum to its historical magnificence.

Volunteers spent the year navigating between painters, electricians, and demolition crews to provide a memorable experience for guests amid chaos. We can confidently say our volunteers thrived during this time because our TripAdvisor ranking has not faltered. The Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site stayed proudly as the #1 of 169 Things to do in Indianapolis, with over 60 five-star reviews just in 2022. Docents were consistently met with promises from guests to return when the restoration was complete because they couldn’t get enough of us.

Long-time volunteer, Jayne, has been involved with the site for almost 15 years and has seen the museum through at least two significant transformations. Jayne is most eager to see the newly constructed Harrison Family Presidential Research Library located on the third floor of the home. “The walls we constructed were torn down, and the space is so open now,” said Jayne, “you can see the entire floor, including all the windows, and you get the real feel of the room. You’re closer to seeing what Benjamin Harrison saw before.”

With the internal restoration work wrapping up, we look to the near future when we fully re-open our doors and welcome the community to see the finished product. This year has been a banner year for the Presidential Site, but it would not have been possible without our volunteers.

We could not be more grateful or appreciative of our volunteers during our historic restoration this last year. We have 150 volunteers between in-person and virtual opportunities and welcomed 12 new in-person volunteers just this year. We encourage anyone seeking meaningful volunteer work to contact our Volunteer and Relationship Coordinator Jamie Mittman at jmittman@bhpsite.org for more information. We would be honored to have you in for a tour and to learn more about our volunteer program.

Special Events

CLASSIC MURDER

APRIL 15-16, 21-23, 28-29 8:00–10:00 PM EST

TICKETS ARE $23.95 FOR GENERAL PUBLIC AND $19.95 FOR MEMBERS

Prepare for an evening of suspense as Candlelight Theatre presents a trilogy of one-act plays based on the writings of three of the most celebrated masters of mystery – Agatha Christie, Shirley Jackson and Edgar Allan Poe.

The back parlor sets the stage for In Memoriam, adapted for stage by Marlene Remington. Based on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, five guests are invited to a secluded island for a party. They soon learn that they are trapped there by a sinister host who has retribution and revenge in mind. Shirley Jackson’s masterpiece, The Summer People, comes alive in the dining room with Brainerd Duffield’s stage adaptation. A holiday couple visiting an idyllic New England town decide to extend their vacation a bit longer. Unbeknownst to them, they have violated a sacred taboo.

Candlelight Theatre resident playwright, James Trofatter, has adapted Edgar Allan Poe’s, The Fall of the House of Usher for a chilling play in the master bedroom. The tale tells the bizarre story of Sir Roderick Usher who has become increasingly possessed by his house. Believing the house is sentient, he fights for his survival.

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED

Purchase your tickets today at CandlelightTheatre.org

For more information, please visit CandlelightTheatre.org.

Special Events

HOOSIER (H)ARTS

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11

7:00–8:30 PM EST

PRESIDENTIAL EGG ROLL

SATURDAY, APRIL 1

9:00–10:30 AM

oon

February 2023, be among the first to see this one night only event at the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site: Candlelight Theatre’s Hoosier H(Arts)! Join us for a night of love, poetry, art, and music celebrating Valentine’s Day, Black History Month, and a few of Indiana’s up and coming poets.

The night will begin in the welcome center, where guests will enjoy wine and non-alcoholic beverages, hors d’oeuvres, and live music. Guests will then move into the residence, where they will hear a live reading of a selection of moving Civil War love letters between Benjamin and Caroline Scott Harrison, poetry written by some of our country’s most prominent Black Poets, and readings by some of Indiana’s up and coming poets. It will most certainly be a night to remember with your special Valentine. Reserve your space now, this performance is for one night only! Performances will sell out! Reservations are required.

Mark your calendar and join us for our annual Presidential Egg Roll–the only egg roll in Indy!

Enjoy crafts, music and celebrations! Children will race to roll wooden eggs through the grass as the Easter Bunny cheers them on. This lively event is free for both children and their parents, but space is limited so reserve your spot today!

This free event takes place rain, snow or shine on Saturday, April 1 from 9–10:30am. Take a photo with the Easter Bunny and enjoy other kid-friendly activities.

Where to go? Free parking is available along the east side of Delaware Street and in the surrounding neighborhood.

When you arrive, please check in at the registration desk, located on the front porch. The Easter Bunny will be hopping around in the Welcome Center!

What about that Egg Roll? Egg Roll Races will occur by age group every 15 minutes on the lawn during the event.

Have your own spoon? There will be a prize for the best decorated wooden spoon!

Can’t join in person? We invite you to stage your own Family Egg Roll—from your very own backyard. Just have your phones and social media posts at the ready! Learn more at PresidentBenjaminHarrison.org