Chapter History
After the National Society was founded on October 11, 1890, the Francis Vigo Chapter, NSDAR, was organized in Vincennes, Indiana in 1908. The organizing regent was Mrs. Artie Cullop and there were 15 organizing members.
The chapter is named for the Italian-American trader who aided George Rogers Clark in his capture of Fort Sackville on the banks of the Wabash, in what would become Vincennes. Vigo is also credited with helping found Indiana's first university, the Jefferson Academy, a predecessor to Vincennes University. Francis Vigo is buried in Greenlawn Cemetery in Vincennes. The chapter placed a large commemorative stone on his gravesite within a year of organizing. Mrs. Cullop is buried in the same cemetery.
The chapter is best known for its efforts to preserve the Indiana Territorial home of William Henry Harrison. Known as the "Harrison House" in 1909, the home had fallen into disrepair and was in danger of being demolished by the local water company. Built in the Federal Style in 1804, it was considered the "White House of the West" for Harrison as he served as governor of the Indiana Territory. It remains a significant site in the history of the War of 1812.
Between 1911 and 1917, the ladies of the chapter went from being custodians of the home to owning it outright. Women who didn't even clean their own homes shoveled hay and animal debris from the basement (where farm animals were kept) and they furnished the home with pieces from their own houses. They took up penny collections from local students and lobbied for donations from DAR chapters across the country - specifically from those in the original Northwest Territory. The chapter holds the deed to the home today, now affectionally known as Grouseland. The mansion is leased to the non-profit Grouseland Foundation, which maintains the upkeep and ongoing restoration of the house.
The mansion recently underwent a $1.5 million restoration for structural and cosmetic work. This exterior restoration, and significant updates the the foyer, main dining room, and the council chamber. Read more at Visit Vincennes / Knox County to learn about the home.